Goggles and Leather
by RedVelvetPanPan
Summary: "How could anyone ever trust you with kids?" He asked in bewilderment. Nye gave a half-hearted shrug, downing another shot. "I have no idea man. I don't even find myself charming." Nye is an immature 24 year old trying to survive the apocalypse with two kids, and a grudge against the Dixons. Why? Well... She really isn't sure, actually. Daryl/OC Slowburn
1. When the world was normal

**(I do not own The Walking Dead, and I never will. This will be the only time I'm saying it. This story follows canon mostly, if you enjoy fanfics were it's like the OCs are dropped in and they're along for the ride, than this is for you. This will also most likely be the slowest Daryl/OC slow burn _ever_. Prepare yourself for a strong friendship before _anything_ romantic.)**

 _ **Revised as of 2/1/19**_

Toby: Dylan Kingwell

Mason: Gaten Matarazzo

Nye: Sarah Bolger

* * *

When the world was normal.

Yeah, that was a phrase she thought of a lot, like right then, as she was bleeding out on the cold unforgiving ground. She wondered what she would be doing right then if the dead had never gotten back up. Would she still be delivering babies, and raising two kids she adored, or would child services have taken them away, seeing an immature twenty four year old not the right person to watch over them. And another upsetting thought hit her…she would have probably never met him.

Even through the cloud of excruciating pain she was in, she still couldn't help but be glad it happened. In a sick way the apocalypse gave her a better life than her past one. Hell, it gave her and her boys an actual family.

Her eyelids slid closed and a melancholy smile slowly grew on her face. At least she made it as far as she did.

 _Sorry boys… Sorry Daryl._

…(Twelve days before the outbreak)…

 _I swear to god I'm gonna kill those boys._

She silently snarled as she juggled holding seven bags of groceries and trying to open the apartment door in front of her at the same time. If only the two gremlins would actually help for once she would already be inside.

She blew a strand of hazel hair that had escaped her ponytail out of her face, proceeding to finally get the key in the hole and turn it. The sight she was met with when she entered didn't surprise her in the slightest.

Two boys the ages of eleven and ten were seated on the leather sofa in the middle of the room, the older having curly brown hair and missing his two top front teeth from a hockey accident in the past, the younger with shorter, darker hair and a smattering of freckles, both were in the midst of an intense game of Halo. She let out a sigh as she trudged her way into the kitchen to put away the goods.

" **Hey Nye.** " The boys both said at the same time, and in the same monotone voice. Nye looked up at the two in exasperation and continued putting things away.

The older suddenly jumped up off the couch yelling "Yes! Take that, asshole!"

Nye whipped around "Mason! what did I say about swearing?"

Mason stopped jumping on the couch and turned to face her, leaning over the back of it as the other boy covered him in the game "I was talking to a different player, not Toby." He cleared up.

Nye nodded slowly, smiling softly in fond exasperation.

"Oh, well in that case have at it." Upon hearing her words he turned back, already lost in the game once more. She snorted as they both started yelling nonsense and franticly pushed buttons as an intense battle seemed to start.

"What do you boys want for dinner?" She asked over her shoulder, and "PIZZA!" was shouted right back at her, which she was grateful for after the day she had.

…

 _"Hey Nye, Mister Owen needs more morphine, poor guy's saying he's gonna keel over" Nye's fellow nurse told her, causing her to sigh. So far she had to deal with one eighty something year old women and her "Business". One little girl with some pretty nasty bruises, that she still didn't believe came from wiping out on a bike, and sixteen total flu patients, Mister Owen being one of them._

 _The hospital was in such need of more hands on deck, that they had resorted to recruiting some of the OB nurses. Nye included._

 _She made her way down to his room and her green eyes roved over the deathly pale middle aged man wearing thin framed glasses, and a bushy greying mustache. He was one of her better patients in terms of cooperation, and Nye liked him for his sense of humor, as it was the same immature and morbid kind she usually employed._

 _"Hello there Bruce, how you feeling?" She asked in an obviously faux chipper voice, knowing he'd rather that than a soothing one._

 _"About as good as I loo-" His sentence was interrupted by a violent coughing fit, and to Nye's horror, as he pulled his hand away it was revealed to be drenched in blood._

 _They both stood in silence, not sure what was happening and why it seemed to be effecting people at random._

 _"Well-" He cleared his voice, trying to hide the waver in it. "That's not a good sign, is it." He said in a way that it was stated as more of a fact than a question, and sadly, as the day went on, he, and the rest of the flu patients only continued to get worse._

…

Time went by and nothing major seemed to happen for days, excluding all of her patients had succumbed to whatever the hell was going around, and the bodies immediately being taken away by higher ups, who to Nye looked oddly like military officials.

And after that… something happened, and it hit hard.

 _"There have been nineteen more reports of attacks in the last few hours-"_

'Click'

 _"I'm telling you it's the government man-"_

'Click'

 _"Lock your doors, stock up on food and water-"_

'Click'

 _"I know what I saw! He was eating a damn dog, when it was still alive-"_

'Click.'

It was like all of a sudden everyone started noticing that something was happening, something huge. More and more patients came in, only not just for this new flu, but for vicious scratches and bite marks as well, and Nye, who had watched pretty much every survival documentary out there, got some serious "End days" vibes. So when a couple days before, Mason and Toby had come home from school and told her about a classmate who had this new flu, that was all it took before she was making them stay home. After that, the news became their most viewed channel. Yet, when the time came… They still weren't ready.

…

It happened in August, 2010.

The end of the world.

…

"Mason get the bags and pack some clothes! Toby, start getting out all the cans of food we have. Go!" Nye yelled as soon as she locked the door behind them. The three of them bolted off in different directions. Frantic, the boys running to do as she instructed.

 _How the hell is this actually happening?! Everything was supposed to be fine, I was supposed to just be being my paranoid self, there's no way this is actually happening!_

Her mind flashed back to what they heard on the way home.

…

 _"How many times do I have to tell you, normal people don't know how many calories are in a Hershey's bar!" She shouted at Mason as they all got in her bright orange Volkswagen type 2 (Or in other words, her hippie van), cheerfully dubbed Pumpkin. They had been getting more cans of food and more jugs of water from one of the smaller and less raided stores nearby._

 _"It was just a harmless question, why are you getting so pissed?" He tried defending himself._

 _She turned in her seat to stare at him in disbelief, while Toby hung his head._

 _"Because when she said she didn't know, you looked her up and down and said "Well you should" I mean what the hell Ace!?"_

 _He simply shrugged in a 'What can ya do' fashion, causing her to sigh heavily._

 _"That's the ninth time you've done something like this Ace, and I'm talking about this_ month _. Do I need to waste money on some stuck up teacher who makes you learn manners?" She joked as she started the van, making Mason snap his head up and stare at her in horror._

 _"You wouldn't." He said in fear._

 _"OH, I would." She replied, reveling in the feeling of one of her "Bad Guy" moments, as they didn't happen often._

 _"It wouldn't even work!"_

 _"We'll see."_

 _She cackled as he groaned, and Toby sat back with a smile, glad the heat wasn't on him (As if it ever was)._

 _But the lighthearted atmosphere dead quickly as Nye turned on the radio, and instead of their favorite music station playing "I Love Rock 'n Roll" or "Take on Me" they heard a prerecorded clip being played._

 ** _"Please evacuate at once. This is not a test. There is a safe zone stationed in Atlanta. Please make your way there. Avoid the sick at all costs. Please eva-"_**

 _As it started over Nye quickly shut it off, leaving them all to sit in shock over what they just heard._

 _So… She was right._

 _While some part of her tried to say "This will all just blow over." She knew. Deep down she knew this was it, there would be no more walking into the apartment after work to see her boys playing Halo or Minecraft, no more going on nice long walks to clear her head, no more going to get ice cream just 'cause._

 _She knew that in the future, when looking back on the day it all started, she would look back on this moment, when her boys looked up at her in fear and confusion, when she steeled herself for the first time for what was to come, and when she swore that the two gremlins behind her would make it, even if it took her own life._

 _Heh, if you asked her a ten years ago if she would have sacrificed herself without a moments hesitation for someone, she would have said "Hell no, every man for them self." With only_ one _exception._ _But now… Now she had two foster kids who were her whole world._

 _And nothing was taking that world away._

 _…_

Nye came out of her stupor, and quickly did a mental checklist of what they would need, Food, clothes…

And weapons. She didn't care if they were just sick people, she'd seen the damage they could do, and no way was she going to leave her and the boys unprotected.

She nodded to herself and darted into her bedroom, making a be-line for her closet. Quickly changing out of her Batman themed scrubs, and putting on a thin grey sweater and a pair of jeans. Afterwards she reached for the silver safe at the top of the closet, she threw it down on her bed and swiftly opened it, pulling out her silver pistol and many survival knives. She ignored the Harry Potter wand she had once put in there as a joke, and finally grabbed her sheaths.

She got up, slipping one of her knives into a sheath she put on her left side, and did the same on her right hip with the pistol, and because she was paranoid/smart, put a knife in her right boot as well, leaving two large knives and their matching sheaths which would be given to Mason and Toby. As she turned to grab her bags she saw something else in the safe, something she knew she couldn't leave without. So with a despondent sigh she slowly reached in and grabbed it. Turning it over in her hands she felt tears begin to form, ones she had been fighting tooth and nail to keep in after hearing the broadcast.

 _Holy shit, Mom, what am I gonna do?_ She asked herself in her head, and knew there would be no response. There never was.

She took a deep breath and blinked away the tears, No time for that. She leaned down and put the item on her head. Before leaving though, she grabbed three fishing poles that were sitting in her closet, as well as a large tackle box next to them that smelled of the lake. _You never know_. She told herself, hoping she wasn't going over board. But then again… She had a van, so she could throw pretty much anything in with their supplies and I still not cause a dent in the room of the back. With that in mind she grabbed a few more less important things in terms of survival, but still important all the same.

On her way out the door, she remembered something. Opening her bedside table, she grabbed a few pill bottles, stuffing them deep into her bag.

They all made their way back into the living room, Mason with their clothes, Toby with their food, and Nye with weapons, fishing gear and random things like photo albums and the two's favorite items, (A green stuffed dinosaur named Button for Toby and a grey crochet blanket named Manny for Mason) On their way to the door Nye grabbed her car keys on a doughnut keychain, and her inhaler.

"Uh…Now what?" Toby meekly asked, followed by Mason nodding along in question.

She took a deep breath and shifted the newly placed goggles atop her head.

"Now we do what they said…We go to Atlanta."

…(Two months into the outbreak)…

 _That son of a bitch is dead!_

That was all that was going through Nye's mind as she ran for her life. It was meant to be an easy run, Glenn did it a hundred times by himself, so it should be even easier with a team, right?

Fuck no, apparently. As everything that could go wrong seemed to happen, God, all she wanted was to help out in a different way than fishing, but of course they had to bring Merle, who at the moment was popping off rounds like ammo wasn't an insanely valuable resource. And it was right after the mystery shooter had stopped as well. She muttered a few more death threats and continued running.

As she made it to the outer door to the building they were hiding out at, she went to swing the door open to bolt inside, but there was one problem. The door wouldn't open.

"Shit, shit shit!" She frantically whisper-yelled, while trying to open the door, but finally stopped when she saw just how close the Walkers were getting.

"Oh no way, no way in hell." She breathed. As she started running around the building, searching for a different way in. It took until Merle finally took a break from shooting for her to finally find a door that opened. She ran through it and quickly slammed the door closed.

"Yeah, take that! No hot meat for you jackasses!" She cheered, riding a raging adrenaline high.

But in all her boasting she didn't notice the three walkers in the room, that were now coming closer, and when she did all she could do was shakily raise her monkey wrench and say,

"Shit."

…

Mason lifted his gaze up from the lake, looking over at Toby, who was staring up at the camp.

"When do you think they'll be back?" Toby asked, not bothering to look at Mason as he limply held his own fishing rod.

Mason shrugged, he figured Toby was worried about their guardian, but he was worried too, and didn't have the energy to try and cheer the younger boy up.

The older boy made the decision to pack things up, (Which was a bit because they had knocked the rest of the bait into the water on accident). They ended up catching three decently sized fish, though they didn't know what kind they were, as Nye had only taught them _how_ to fish so far.

They carried their bucket towards Lori, one of the mothers of the kids they would play with. Though they didn't particularly like Lori. After she had seen Nye give the two of them knives, she went and gave a speech to their guardian about how children shouldn't have weapons.

Nye had simply walked away in the middle though, and later on when the boys timidly asked if they shouldn't play with Carl anymore, she told them _"Nah, you two play with whoever, as long as they're in your age range it's fine. Oh, but don't try to play rough with Sophia, got it?"_ They had both nodded and ran off, secretly happy they could still play with Carl.

And they were pretty sure that after Nye started helping with the laundry more, Lori forgave her for her, as Nye put it, "Refusal to deal with bullshit condition", that Lori took as her simply being a bitch.

Amy made it to Lori the same time they did.

"Any luck?" Lori asked, and Amy prompty dumped out a bucket of mushrooms.

"How do we tell if they're poison?" She asked uncertainly, and the boys looked at one another, both thinking the same thing. Nye could tell.

Mason opened his mouth to tell them but Lori spoke before them.

"Uh, there's only one sure way I know of." She said and started brushing dirt off of one of them, leading both boys to roll their eyes. Was Nye really the only one who thought it would be a good idea to read up on what plants and stuff were edible in Georgia? Then again, Nye was already preparing for the apocalypse when they were in diapers.

"Ask Shane when he gets back?" Amy asked as she sat down.

Lori nodded and got up, taking the bucket. "Yeah, you got it."

It was at this point Mason was tired of the two women not noticing their presence.

"We got fish!" Mason yelled, even though they were only a few feet away.

Toby put his face in his hand as Mason startled the two with his outburst, but Lori quickly recovered, and smiled at the two.

"Oh, you two didn't have to do that, we're doing just fine on food, so why don't you go play with Carl, hmm?"

 _And_ , they should have expected that. They both nodded glumly and put their bucket down, the order Nye gave them a few days ago ringing in their heads.

 _"I don't care if she can be a bit overbearing, I want you to treat Lori and everyone else with as much respect as you treat me, okay?"_ They had nodded, but Mason had looked at her with a confused look on his face _"Even the Dixons?"_ Nye had paused, as a silent feud had been going on between the Dixon clan and the Conner clan. She was hesitant, but her conscience finally won out. _"Yes… Even the Dixons."_ Both boys fought the laughs bubbling up, as she had seemed to pout over her last sentence.

Carl smiled at them as they both sat down and started playing with the toy cars he wasn't using. "Kids, I want you to stay where Dale can see you, okay?" Lori told them, having Carl answer with "Yes, Mom." And the boys with "Yes, Ma'am."

And as Dale warned her to not to go too far, both boys looked up at the road, wondering when the group would be back.

Wondering when _Nye_ would be back.

…

The Walkers slammed into the glass door without showing any sign of stopping, and they all watched in trepidation, fearing that any second the glass would give way.

And as a walker picked up a stone and slammed it into the door, T-Dog muttered, "Oh God."

They all ran farther back into the store, away from the door.

"What the hell were you doing out there anyway?" Andrea asked the new guy.

"Trying to flag the helicopter." He said, and T-Dog looked at him as if he lost his mind.

"Helicopter? Man, that's crap. Ain't no damn helicopter."

Jacqui piped in "You were chasing a hallucination, imagining things. It happens." And as he tried defending himself Glenn did a headcount, when he came up short of a trademark pair of goggles, he snapped his head towards the group.

"Guys… Where's Nye?" Everyone became deathly silent, looking to one another to see if anyone knew.

"Oh no, no no no, Crap!" Glenn panicked. Andrea tried shushing him, as he started pacing, gripping his head as if in pain "God, this is all my fault, I was put in charge of this run, and now she's gone!" He took a deep breath and turned back to everyone. Rick was about to ask who "Nye" was when Glenn spoke up again. "When was the last time anyone saw her?" And immediately, Andrea paled.

"Shit, I didn't think she meant she was gonna go alone." She said softly.

Glenn stared at her and uncharacteristically demanded "What do you mean? Go where?"

Andrea took a deep breath and said "The building across the street."

Now everyone paled.

"And you're saying she went there, alone!?" T-Dog asked/shouted.

"I didn't think she would go! She just said we might find something useful there." Andrea tried to defend herself.

Glenn looked down, grief already hitting him. Chances were, since they hadn't seen her…

…

Nye took a deep breath, as she slowly slumped against the wall, panting and covered in walker blood. She looked down at her left wrist, bearing a thin blue leather watch.

Five minutes. It took her five minutes of dodging and bludgeoning to kill only three of those bastards.

Thankfully it seemed Merle had finally stopped shooting, meaning he either got bored, or someone stepped up to him… Yeah, he got bored.

She took a deep breath and got to her feet, slowly making her way to the door on the other end of the room. Upon opening it however…

"Holy sh-" She clamped a hand over her mouth and stared at the several walkers in the room outside. Okay, so she was staying in there until Glenn or one of the others found her. It sounded like a good plan, once they saw she was gone they would hopefully come look for her, so she would wait it out.

It wasn't good plan.

It all happened in a matter of seconds to her, first she heard a car alarm, then a red sports car drove up to the building they were all hiding in, the sports car was followed by what looked to her like a moving van. Finally, she saw people get in said van, then, they just left.

She gaped as they drove away, without her. She knew realistically it was her fault, and that she should have stayed in the building they were hiding out in, but the thought that the building across the street could be a goldmine was just too tempting, and she _did_ find a few heavy duty box cutters there, so it wasn't a total waste. But she couldn't help but be angry, at herself for being stupid, and at them for leaving her, because now… Mason and Toby would think she left them, just like their family before. And _that's_ what made her panic.

…

As Rick clung to his wife and son, he looked up at Shane, intending to thank him, when something caught his eye. Two boys, both around the age of Carl were looking around, looking more panicked by the second, and that's when he remembered, Merle wasn't the only one they left behind. He felt guilt grip him tightly.

She had kids, the woman they left behind, had kids. The younger one was already crying, and the older was frantically shaking his head, as if this was all a nightmare he wanted out of. Glenn walked up to the two, and without saying a word, knelt down and hugged them both, this caused the older to finally let go, and as he sobbed into Glenn's chest everyone seemed to realize who was missing. Amy put a hand over her mouth and Dale looked down, eyes shut. Sophia, whom Nye had watched over multiple times started shaking like a leaf while Carol rubbed her shoulders in an attempt of comfort, even though the woman herself was tearing up.

Unbeknownst to Rick, Nye had staked claim to a spot in a fair few peoples hearts, after watching the kids for Lori, Carol and the Morales', and helping them with their homework. After pitching in by fishing before Shane had even asked. After chatting with Amy about random things like boys and fashion (Though Nye had no real clue about the second one) just to take the girls mind off of what was going on around them.

Nye had made a fair few care, and made a fair few cry as a result.

And that night, as Carl got his father back, two boys thought they lost their only guardian.

…

It was a miracle Nye slept at all, all the thoughts of Mason and Toby thinking she was dead kept her awake, but around 2:00 AM she finally lost the fight and fell asleep.

Around midday, Nye was jolted awake at the sound of a door slamming open, followed by hushed voices. She perked up as she heard a familiar voice mutter something.

 _Wait, was that-_

She jumped hard a she heard a crossbow being shot.

A wide relieved grin split across her face

The sound of a decayed body hitting the floor made her brave enough to open the door and step out.

She treaded lightly as she saw Glenn, Dixon Junior, T-Dog and someone she didn't recognize.

None of them noticed her approaching presence, and as she opened her mouth to make a retort on how they left her behind (Dramatic entrances always were her favorite) she was interrupted by having to duck, in order to avoid getting skewered.

Everyone stared in shock as she quickly stood back up to her five foot three height, and turned to look behind her. The sight she was met with was one of the drywall behind her, with a crossbow bolt sticking out. It clearly would have been a head shot if she hadn't ducked. She turned back around, holding her hands up in peace.

"The hell, Dixon!?" She shouted shakily.

Daryl lowered his crossbow, shocked that what he assumed was a Walker, was the second person that had been left behind.

Glenn broke out in a huge grin. "Nye! Oh my god, we were so worried, we thought you were-OW!"

But as Glenn had been saying all this, she was making her way toward him, and gave him a solid hit on the arm.

"You assholes left me here! And yeah it's mostly my fault, but seriously!?" She shouted in indignation, the stress having got to her.

Glenn looked down in regret, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah, but we-I'm really sorry."

Damnit, she could never stay mad at him when he looked like that, like a kicked puppy.

She sighed. "Whatever, you're forgiven,"

You might as well have told him the apocalypse was over, he looked so happy.

And then she realized something. "But if you guys thought I was dead then why the hell did you come back? Oh and who's that?" She added as an after thought, pointing at Rick.

"Oh, well that's Rick, Lori's-"

"Dead husband!?" She finished for him and he nodded sheepishly.

"Yeah, that."

"Well damn." Nye said faintly, before spinning on her heel, holding her hand out to Rick. "Pleasure to meet you Sheriff."

Rick's brows furrowed slightly, as he shook her hand. "Pleasure's all mine."

T-Dog cleared his throat uncomfortably. "And we kind of left Merle behind too." He muttered, regret filling his voice. But all Nye could do was stare.

"So let me get this straight." She slowly started. "You left not only me, but Merle?"

All but Daryl (Who was looking rather impatient) nodded, looking guilty.

"Then what the hell are we just standing here for?! Let's go get him!" She definitely wasn't the man's biggest fan, but after spending the night there alone, she was feeling sympathetic for him, knowing that even as tough as the man was, he was probably scared shitless like she had been.

She started running towards a random door.

"Uh… Other way Nye."

"I knew that." She totally didn't.

They all ran up the flight of stairs leading to the roof. T-Dog cut a chain keeping the door closed and Daryl immediately kicked it open, leading Nye to roll her eyes.

 _They say I'm the dramatic one._

He shouted Merle's name a few times as they walked through the door. They walked toward were he was meant to be chained, and for an agonizing second they all just stared at the scene in front of them.

She faintly heard Daryl yelling as she stared at the pool of blood, surrounding a severed hand.

As everyone was dazed, she slowly walked up and crouched down near the mess, grimacing at it. Immediately she could see that this wasn't adding up, there should have been large pools of blood, but instead there was just one small one.

 _Well, holy shit, the bastard was smart enough to use a tourniquet._

She opened her mouth to tell them as much.

"I wont hesitate, I don't care if every Walker in the city hears it."

She snapped her head up upon hearing that, and was half surprised and half exasperated to see Daryl holding his crossbow to T-Dog and Rick holding his gun to Daryl.

"Okay that's enough assholes. Dixon, you gonna keep pointing that thing at people or are you gonna help find the human dick you call a brother?"

Rick stared at her in slight shock, as Daryl lowered his weapon. While everyone was used to Nye's vocabulary and didn't even blink at her brash way of speaking anymore, Rick was very much not used to it.

Daryl turned to T-Dog. "You got a do-rag or somethin'?" And after taking T-Dog's offered rag, walked up to where Nye was crouched.

She watched with a tight frown as he picked up the hand.

"I guess the saw blade was too dull for the handcuffs."

Nye whistled. "Damn, that bites."

He gave her an unimpressed look, to which she shrugged. It wasn't her fault she had no filter.

After wrapping it up he walked over to Glenn, and much to the man's displeasure, put the hand in the backpack he was wearing.

"Yikes, sorry Glenn." She faintly said, causing him to give her a slight glare, which only made her have to fight off a smile, as an angry Glenn was like an angry puppy, there was just nothing threatening about it.

"I'd bet my last Twinkie he used a tourniquet." Nye piped up as she stood, leading Rick to look at her, nonplussed, as he was still getting used to her immature disposition.

Daryl nodded, and she filed this down as the first time they could agree on something.

"Probably his belt, be much more blood if he didn't." He started following the trail Merle made. Rick nodded to Glenn and T-Dog to follow, as Nye was already making her way over towards him.

They turned a corner and went through a door leading inside, Nye tried to read the sign on it, but it was too faded.

They looked down the staircase they were met with, hoping to see some sign of him. "Merle? You in here?" Daryl yelled as they made their way down.

…

Dale decided to walk towards a certain tent before he went to warn people about Jim's behavior.

"Uh, Mason, Toby? How are you, uh…" He called, trailing off, and let out a sigh.

"How are you boys feeling? You need anything? Some food, water…?" He asked, stronger this time.

"We're fine Dale." He heard from Mason, only, his voice was thick with tears, contradicting his statement.

"Oh, boys…" Dale whispered, pained that these two kids had to go through losing a parent all over again. He had hoped he could get them to eat something, but it seemed they weren't ready to leave the tent. He knew that pushing them was the last thing they needed, so he stepped away, hoping he would be able to get them to eat when he planned to try again in a few hours. After a few steps he turned back to the tent one last time.

"Your Mother is one tough cookie, Glenn said they don't know what happened, so she could be just fine. And I have a strong feeling she's still out there, fighting to get back to you two, so I don't want you two to go giving up hope just yet, alright?"

He waited for a response, and when he didn't get one he sighed and started making his way back, but stopped when he faintly heard "Thanks Dale." From Toby.

He smiled lightly, hoping to God that he was right, and that those boys would get to see their mother again.

…

Daryl shot down a female Walker, and Rick signaled the other three to come with him into the room. They both looked around one more time to insure that it was Walker free, and as they did Nye walked up to the dead Walker… Well, she supposed it was double-dead now.

"Had enough in him to take out these two sumbitches, one handed." Daryl said, motioning to the dead Walkers they found.

Nye walked away from the four men to search for something else, hopefully something pointing them in the exact direction to which Merle went, and against her will, Toby's voice filled her head.

 _"Let's split up and search for clues."_

And God did that hurt. _They probably think I'm dead…_

She shook herself out of it, she would see them again as soon as they found the one handed asshole, and she would greet them with the most dramatic entrance anyone has ever seen.

"Toughest asshole I ever met, my brother." Daryl said as he reloaded his crossbow. "Feed him a hammer, he'd crap out nails."

"Charming." Nye said from the other side of the room.

"Any man can pass out from blood loss, no matter how tough he is." Rick warned him.

Nye nodded in agreement, "Yeah, though, if he still has the tourniquet on, he'll definitely last longer."

They all continued to make their way through the building, following the blood trail.

"Merle!" Was shouted by Daryl, which was immediately followed by Nye whisper-yelling "Dude!" And Rick trying to shush him by saying "We're not alone here, remember?"

"Screw that. He could be bleedin' out, you said so yourself." He retorted, causing Nye to roll her eyes.

They walked up to a stove, and Nye immediately knew what he had done.

"Oh dear lord, the dickwad is definitely in pain town now, if he wasn't before." It was a ridiculous sentence, but add to that the fact her voice came out laced with disgust, it sounded anything but humorous.

Rick picked up what looked like a bacon press, and Glenn looked from the bloody belt on the stove to what the former sheriff was holding.

"What's that burned stuff?"

" **Skin.** " Rick and Nye both said at the same time. "He cauterized his stump." Nye clarified.

Glenn looked away, seemingly sick at the thought of someone having to go that far to survive.

"Told you he was tough. Nobody can kill Merle but Merle." Daryl told Rick in a vindicated manner.

"Don't take that on faith. He's lost a lot of blood." Rick warned him.

"Yeah? Didn't stop him from bustin' out of this death trap." Daryl said as he started to lead them towards a broken window.

"He left the building?" Glenn asked in disbelief. Nye bowed her head and let a deep sigh. In her opinion, they were going through way to much trouble for that sexist bastard.

"Well isn't that great, it'll be like trying to find a needle in a haystack now." Nye said in defeat.

"Yeah, why the hell would he do that?" Glenn nodded to Nye and continued his sentence.

"Why wouldn't he? He's out there alone as far as he knows, doin' what he's gotta do. Survivin'." Daryl barked back.

T-Dog turned to him. "You call that surviving? Just wandering out in the streets, maybe passing out? What are his odds out there?"

Nye snapped her head up to look at T-Dog, fearing he just pissed off the second trigger happy Dixon.

"No worse than bein' handcuffed and left to rot by you sorry pricks." Daryl snapped, seething.

Glenn rubbed his eyes and T-Dog looked down, not sure what to say in his defense, or if he should even try defending himself. Whereas Nye simply crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, waiting to see if things were going to get violent again.

"You couldn't kill him." Daryl got in Rick's face. And Nye leaned forward. "Ain't so worried about some dumb dead bastard."

Rick took a step forward. "How about one thousand dumb dead bastards? Different story?"

And of course Daryl didn't back down. "Why don't you take a tally? Do what you want. I'm gonna go get him."

Daryl started to walk away, only for Rick to put his hand on his chest to try and stop him. "Daryl, wait-"

Daryl backed out of his reach. "Get your hands off me!" Glenn tried shushing them, but it was futile. Nye was off the wall at this point, and while Mason and Toby didn't fight much, she still had enough experience to know how to break one up.

"You can't stop me." Daryl got back in Rick's face, and Nye was preparing to march up to the two men, but luckily Rick started speaking before she had the chance.

"I don't blame you. He's family, I get that. I went through hell to find mine. I know exactly how you feel." It seemed Rick knew exactly what to say, as Daryl took a step back and swallowed thickly.

"He can't get far with that injury. We can help you check a few blocks around but only if we keep a level head." Rick finished.

Everyone was silent, waiting for Daryl's response.

"I could do that." He said softly.

And it was like everyone could breath again, but of course, someone had to ruin it.

T-Dog shook his head. "Only if we get those guns first. I'm not strolling the streets of Atlanta with just my good intentions, okay?

 _Damnit! There are guns we have to get too!?_

Nye leaned her head back and let out a groan, causing everyone to look at her questioningly.

She dropped her head back down. "Alright, but we are hurrying our asses up. I'm not spending any more time here than necessary, Ace and Smalls need to know I'm, ya know, alive."

…

Mason numbly made his way to the clearing where everyone seemed to be at that moment.

As he made his way closer, he began to hear the conversation going on between Jim and Shane.

"What does it matter? I'm not hurting anyone."

"Yeah, except maybe yourself. It's a hundred degrees today. You can't keep this up."

But Jim just kept digging. "Sure I can. Watch me."

Lori walked up to him now. "Jim, they're not gonna say it so I will. You're scaring people. You're scaring my son, Carol's daughter, Mason too." Mason looked up at her, and gave her a confused look. He wasn't scared of Jim, but he was confused as to what the man was doing.

"They got nothing to be scared of. I mean, what the hell, people? I'm out here by myself. Why don't you all just go and leave me the hell alone?"

At that, Mason turned to leave. All he wanted was to see what was going on and grab some food for himself and for Toby.

But it appeared Shane wasn't done trying. "We think that you need to take a break, okay? Why don't you go and get yourself in the shade? Some food maybe. I'll tell you what maybe in a little bit I'll come out here and help you myself. Jim, just tell me what it's about." Shane tried to bargain. "Why don't you just go ahead and give me that shovel?"

Jim looked up at him. "Or what?"

It appeared things were getting interesting, and not in the good way.

"There is no "or what". I'm asking you. I'm coming to you and I'm asking you, please. I don't want to have to take it from you." Shane tried.

"And if I don't, then what? Then you're gonna beat my face in like Ed Peletier, aren't you?"

Mason blinked in confusion, not knowing about what had happened with Ed.

Jim turned to everyone. "Y'all seen his face, huh? What's left of it." He turned back to Shane. "See, now that's what happens when someone crosses you." Shane looked at him with look in his eyes that sent a chill down Mason's spine.

Mason wasn't sure if he liked Shane. _"You don't always have to like someone to trust them, and you don't always have to trust them to like them."_ Nye's words rang in his head, and it made him realize something else. Mason didn't think he trusted Shane either.

"That was different, Jim." Shane said, glaring at the other man.

Amy piped up "You weren't there. Ed was out of control. He was hurting his wife."

"That is their marriage. That is not his. He is not judge and jury." Jim said to Amy, and glared at Shane. "Who voted you King Boss, huh?"

Shane tried to calm him. "Jim, I'm not here to argue with you, all right?" He took a step towards him. "Just give me the shovel, okay?"

Jim shook his head. "No no no." Jim started muttering, and Mason was actually starting to get scared.

"Just give me the… Jim!"

Jim shoved Shane away and raised the shovel up in an attempt to hit him, only for Shane to tackle him to the ground and pin him.

"Okay, shh shh." Shane tried calming him, and Jim thrashed in his hold.

"You got no right!" He yelled and continued thrashing.

"Stop. Shh." Shane kept saying.

By this point Mason was rooted in place, too stunned by what he was watching to step away. And he couldn't help imagining what Nye would be doing if she were there with him.

"You got no right!"

"Jim, just stop it. Hey hey hey hey."

"Don't!" Everyone watched, not sure what to do as Jim continued thrashing and yelling.

"Jim. Jim, nobody's gonna hurt you. You hear me? Shh. Jim, nobody is gonna hurt you, okay?" Shane tried to reassure him, but Jim's response made everyone's blood run cold.

"That's a lie. That's the biggest lie there is. I told that to my wife and my two boys. I said it a hundred times. It didn't matter. They came out of nowhere. There were dozens of 'em. Just pulled 'em right out of my hands. You know, the only reason I got away was 'cause the dead were too busy eating my family"

Everyone stood in stunned silence. Lori put a hand to her mouth, and Dale looked frozen.

But Mason became pale as a sheet, and finally walked away as everyone else was distracted.

 _There's no way Nye's alive. Not in this world, where everyone gets torn apart._ Mason told himself, feeling completely detached from everything.

He hadn't even realized he made it back to their tent until Toby's voice broke him out of his daze.

"Did you get anything?"

Mason looked at the other boy's face, noting how red and puffy it was, and how he probably looked the same, if not worse.

He simply shook his head and laid back down next to Toby, latching back onto one of Nye's pillows and burying his face back into it.

Comforted only by the smell of peaches and daisies coming off of it.

…

"Uh uh, no way in hell Glenn." Nye shook her head violently.

"She's right, you're not doing this alone." Rick backed up the goggle wearing brunette. Which was followed by Daryl's helpful "Even I think it's a bad idea and I don't even like you much."

Glenn sighed and tried defending his plan. "It's a good idea, okay, if you just hear me out. If we go out there in a group, we're slow, drawing attention. If I'm alone, I can move fast. Look." He pointed to a part on the diagram he drew up. "That's the tank, five blocks from where we are now." He pointed to a different part on it. "That's the bag of guns." He then pointed to the last spot. "Here's the alley I dragged you into when we first met. That's where Daryl, Nye and I will go."

" **Why me?** " Both the woman and archer asked at the same time, leading them both to glare at one another.

"Your crossbow is quieter than his gun, and Nye's good with hand to hand."

"You're overselling my skills, Speedy." Nye said anxiously.

"You'll be fine." Glenn assured her, before turning back to Rick. "While Daryl and Nye wait here in the alley, I run up the street, grab the bag."

"You got us elsewhere?" Rick asked, not understanding why they wouldn't all stick together.

"You and T-Dog, right." He pointed down at the map. "You'll be in this alley here."

"Two blocks away? Why?"

"I may not be able to come back the same way. Walkers might cut me off. If that happens, I won't go back to Daryl and Nye. I'll go forward instead, all the way around to that alley where you guys are." He quickly explained. "Which ever direction I go, I got you in both places to cover me. Afterwards, we'll all meet back here."

They all shared the same look of surprise.

"Hey, kid, what'd you do before all this?" Daryl asked.

"Delivered pizzas. Why?" Glenn answered, oblivious to their surprise.

Nye smiled wide. "Well holy shit."

…

Daryl loaded his crossbow and Nye adjusted her grip on her large monkey wrench.

As they made their way down the alley Daryl spoke up. "You got some balls for a chinaman."

Nye grimaced in secondhand-shame and groaned "Godamnit Dixon."

Which was followed by Glenn's annoyed "I'm Korean."

Daryl shrugged. "Whatever."

They both hid behind the dumpsters as Glenn ran out to grab the guns.

"What do you think will happen when we try to bring him back?" Nye asked in a conversational tone. Daryl looked at her in confusion in response.

She sighed "Merle, ya know. I just think he won't be too pleased to share a camp with the guy who made him go all '127 Hours' on himself."

Whatever Daryl was going to say in response would forever be a mystery, as some kid came barreling down the alley.

"Whoa, don't shoot me! What do you want?" The kid begged as Daryl pointed his crossbow at him.

"I'm lookin' for my brother. He's hurt real bad. You seen him?" Daryl immediately started questioning the kid.

And of course, because the world loved screwing them over, the kid started yelling.

"Ayudame!"

Nye put her hand up to her head, gripping her hair tightly in stress. "Dude shut the hell up!" She whisper-yelled.

"Shut up! You're gonna bring the geeks down on us. Answer me." Daryl demanded.

Nye looked back and forth from Daryl and the kid, and the entrance Glenn was supposed to come down any second.

"Answer me!"

But it seemed the kid would only yell whatever it was he was yelling, and it was moments like these Nye wished she took Spanish instead of French.

"Ayudame! Ayudame! Ayudame!"

Nye turned around back to the two. "Dixon, shut him the hell up! We're gonna be swarmed by Walkers if he keeps this up!"

And because their luck was so bad, two more people came into the alley.

"Oh son of a-"

The two new men immediately saw her and Daryl as hostiles, and decided to hit first, ask questions later. What happened next was a blur of kicks and punches. And as Nye got hit in the face by one of the two men, she saw Glenn being grabbed by the other.

"That's it. That's the bag, Vato. Take it! Take it!"

"Get off me! Get off me! Daryl! Nye!" Glenn yelled as he was dragged away towards their car.

 _Oh hell no._

She ran toward them, but was knocked down violently by the one who had already punched her.

"Come back here, you sumbitches!" Daryl yelled after the men, raising his crossbow.

She was mighty satisfied to see Daryl shoot the one who hit her. It was even better that it hit its mark in the man's ass.

The men drove away with Glenn, leaving the bag of guns behind, and as she slowly sat up, still winded, Daryl ran over and closed the fence gate, so no Walkers could get into the alleyway.

And afterward, he surprisingly turned to her.

"You good?" He asked gruffly.

Her mouth dropped open at that.

"Erm… Yeah." She said slowly.

 _Okay… It seems Dixon Junior isn't as much of an ass as his brother._ She begrudgingly thought to herself.

He nodded, and immediately the anger was back as he turned back to the kid.

"Whoa whoa whoa. Stop it!" She heard Rick yell as Daryl beat up the kid. She looked to see him and T-Dog running up to them.

"I'm gonna kick your nuts up in your throat!"

 _Real classy, Dixon._

"Let me go." The kid begged, and if it were any other situation, she would have felt sorry. But this guy's people just took Glenn, their sweet as a lil' cinnamon roll, Glenn.

"Chill out." T-Dog tried to get Daryl to ease up.

"Uh, dude, in case you haven't noticed, _they took Glenn_!" She shouted at T-Dog as she got up.

"That little bastard and his little bastard homie friends. I'm gonna stomp your ass!" Daryl continued raging.

"Guys! Guys! We're cut off!" T-Dog yelled over all the commotion.

Rick quickly took charge. "Get to the lab. Go."

"Come on. Damn, let's go." Daryl drags the kid along as Rick went back and grabbed the bag of guns and the sheriff hat. And they all started running back to the building.

This was in no way how Nye had expected her day to go.

* * *

 **I'm way happier with this version. I plan to get around to revising all these earlier chapters, because they're seriously cringy as fuck. I honestly don't know how I got any of you to stick around with how these early chaps are *Embarrassed laugh***


	2. Satan's yard-sale

_**Revised as of 3/23/19**_

* * *

"Those men you were with, we need to know where they went." Rick questioned the kid.

"I ain't telling you nothing."

Nye was getting tired of all the questioning that was getting them nowhere. Couldn't she just get back to camp and show her two gremlins she was alive?

"Jesus, man. What the hell happened back there?" T-Dog asked Daryl. Causing Nye to look up in childish indignation for not being the one he asked.

"I told you, this little turd and his douche bag friends came out of nowhere and jumped us." Daryl shot back, tired of repeating himself.

"You're the one who jumped me, puto, screaming about trying to find his brother like it's my damn fault." The kid complained.

Nye had to give him that, Daryl did kind of go in crossbows blazing.

"They took Glenn. Could have taken Merle too." Daryl defended himself.

The kid laughed. "Merle? What kind of hick name is that? I wouldn't name my dog Merle."

"Dude, that's so uncalled for." Nye shook her head.

And it seem Daryl wasn't having it either, as Rick had to hold him back from seriously hurting the kid.

"Damn it, Daryl. Back off. Rick ordered. And it seemed to thankfully work. But Nye caught on quick to what Daryl was doing as he made his way toward one of their bags.

Deciding to piggyback on it, Nye stood and crossed her arms.

"Jeez Dixon I don't know if the kid could _handle_ that." She turned and grinned at the kid. "Pun intended."

The kid looked at her in slight fear and confusion.

Daryl took a second to glare at her, then turned back to the kid. "Wanna see what happened to the last guy that pissed me off?" He walked up to him.

And with that. He plopped Merle's severed hand right in the kid's lap.

"Start with the feet this time." Daryl said over the kid's screams.

Rick held Daryl back, saying nothing about the hand, which to Nye meant he approved.

"The men you were with took our friend. All we want to do is talk to them, see if we can work something out." The former sheriff tried to reason with the kid.

They were silent, waiting for the kid to crack.

And, thankfully, he did.

...

"You sure you're up for this?" Rick asked.

"Yeah." T-Dog replied.

"Okay."

Daryl adjusted his grip on the kid. "One wrong move, you get an arrow in the ass. Just so you know."

"And he means it, I mean, he tried to shoot me just a little while ago." Nye smiled serenely at Daryl, and something told her she would have gotten a middle finger in response if his hands weren't full.

"G's gonna take that arrow out of my ass and shove it up yours. Just so you know." The kid sassed back.

"G?" Rick asked.

"Guillermo. He's the man here." The kid clarified.

"Okay then. Let's go see Guillermo." Rick said in an admittedly scary voice.

They walked up to the large building. As they approached, its door opened, followed by an intimidating man walking out.

"You okay, little man?" He asked the kid, and Nye didn't know if she should feel better, or worse, when she heard a bit of worry he tried to mask.

"They're gonna cut off my feet, carnal." The boy yelled.

The man looked a bit surprised. "Cops do that?"

The kid shook his head slightly. "Not him. This redneck puto here. He cut off some dude's hand, man. He showed it to me. I think the puta was in on it"

"Shut up." Daryl muttered, leading Nye to stifle a laugh. She didn't care what the kid called her, the uncomfortable look on Daryl's face made it _so_ worth it.

She quickly sobered up though, as the guy who hit her stepped out, and pointed a gun at Daryl.

"Hey, that's that vato right there, homes. He shot me in the ass with an arrow. What's up, homes, huh?" The guy was clearly pissed.

"Chill, ese, chill. Chill." Guillermo tried calming the one Daryl shot, and turned back to Rick. "This true? He wants Miguelito's feet? That's pretty sick, man."

Nye glanced at Daryl, and as they made eye contact, she could tell they were thinking the same thing,

 _The hand thing might have been a bad idea._

"We were hoping more for a calm discussion." Rick tried regaining control.

"That hillbilly and the city girl jump Felipe's little cousin, beats on him, threatens to cut off his feet, Felipe gets an arrow in the ass and you want a calm discussion? You fascinate me." Guillermo said angrily.

"Heat of the moment. Mistakes were made on both sides." Rick defended.

"Who's that dude to you anyway? You don't look related." Guillermo suddenly asked, referring to Glenn.

"He's the Scooby to our Mystery inc." Nye answered before Rick could. Her statement caused everyone in the area to stare at her as if she was nuts.

Which was fair. She kinda was.

Rick cleared his throat, and lightly glared at her. "He's one of our group, more or less. I'm sure you have a few like him."

"You got my brother in there?" Daryl asked, and Nye winced softly, she had totally forgotten Merle was even part of the equation.

"Sorry, we're fresh out of white boys. But I've got an Asian. You interested?" Guillermo asked leadingly.

"I have one of yours, you have one of mine. Sounds like an even trade." Rick bargained. But what the guy said next shocked them.

"Don't sound even to me."

"G. Come on, man." The kid said desperately.

"My people got attacked. Where's the compensation for their pain and suffering? More to the point, where's my bag of guns?"

 _Oh this motherfu-_

"Guns?" Rick asked in faux confusion.

"The bag Miguel saw in the street. The bag Felipe and Jorge were going back to get. That bag of guns." He clarified.

"You're mistaken."

"I don't think so."

"About it being yours. It's my bag of guns." Rick carried on as if he hadn't spoken.

"Yeah, finders keepers dude. That's the rule." Nye piped up again, only for Daryl to elbow her, silently telling her to _shut it_.

"The bag was in the street. Anybody could come around and say it was theirs. I'm supposed to take your word? What's to stop my people from unloading on you right here and now and I take what's mine?" Guillermo threatened.

"You could do that. Or not."

Rick gestured toward T-Dog, who at that point had a sniper rifle pointed at Guillermo while atop a nearby rooftop.

He looked up at T-Dog not seeming fazed.

"Oye." And at his command, two guys on their rooftop walked out, with Glenn.

"I see two options. You come back with Miguel and my bag of guns, everybody walks. Or you come back locked and loaded, we'll see which side spills more blood." With that, they all went back inside, taking Glenn with them.

…

Rick unzipped the bag, and started dividing up the guns.

"Them guns are worth more than gold." Daryl tried to convince him to stop. "Gold won't protect your family or put food on the table. You're gonna give that up for that kid?"

"Yo, dick head! We're talking about Glenn! Of course we're making the trade!" Nye shouted at him, outraged he would suggest leaving him.

"If I knew we'd get Glenn back, I might agree. But you think that vato across the way is just gonna hand him over?" T-Dog asked.

Nye snapped her head to him so fast she thought she might get whiplash.

"T, what the hell?!"

"You calling G a liar?" The kid asked, offended on his leader's behalf.

"Are you a part of this? You want to hold onto your teeth?" Daryl asked the kid, then promptly slapped him on the back of his head.

T-Dog turned to Rick. "Question is, do you trust that man's word?"

Rick opened his mouth to answer, but Daryl interrupted.

"No, question is, what are you willin' to bet on it? Could be more than them guns. Could be your life. Glenn worth that to you?"

Nye nodded surely, clearly willing to fight tooth and nail to get her friend back.

"What life I have, I owe to him. I was nobody to Glenn, just some idiot stuck in a tank. He could have walked away, but he didn't. Neither will I."

She snapped her head toward Rick as her brain caught up to his mouth. "Wait, did you just say tank-"

"So you're gonna hand the guns over?" Daryl asked, skeptically, and Nye glared at him for interrupting her, still curious about the tank.

"I didn't say that. There's nothing keeping you three here. You should get out, head back to camp." Rick nodded to Nye. "And get back to your boys."

And as much as she wanted to. She knew she couldn't leave just yet.

"And tell Lori and Carl what?" She asked.

"Come on, this is nuts. Just do like G says." The kid said from the other side of the room.

They each took a few guns, ignoring the kid's plea.

…

"I see my guns but they're not all in the bag."

 _Here we go again._

"That's because they're not yours. I thought I mentioned that." Rick shot back.

The guy Daryl shot walked up. "Let's just shoot these fools right now, ese. All right? Unload on their asses, ese."

Guillermo ignored him. "I don't think you fully appreciate the gravity of the situation."

"No, I'm pretty clear." Rick cut the kid free, and he ran back up to his people. "You have your man. I want mine."

"I'm gonna chop up your boy. I'm gonna feed him to my dogs. They're the evilest, nastiest man-eating bitches you ever saw. I picked them up from Satan at a yard sale. I told you how it has to be. Are you woefully deaf?" Guillermo threatened.

 _Well it seems I'm not the only one into dramatics._ Nye thought to herself tensely.

"No, my hearing's fine. You said come locked and loaded." Everyone cocked their guns as if it was rehearsed. "Okay then, we're here."

But to everyone's shock, an old woman came through the Vatos' side.

"Felipe! Felipe!"

Nye openly gaped, and instinctively lowered her weapon.

"Abuela, go back with the others, now."

"Get that old lady out of the line of fire!" Daryl shouted, and Nye nodded in agreement.

 _Oh, wow, we're on a roll today._

"Abuela, listen to your mijo, okay? This is the not the place for you right now." Guillermo tried getting her to leave.

"Mr. Gilbert is having trouble breathing. He needs his asthma stuff. Carlitos didn't find it. He needs his medicine." The woman continued adamantly.

Guillermo let out a defeated sigh. "Felipe, go take care of it, okay? And take your grandmother with you."

"Abuela! Ven conmigo por favor."

"Who are those men, and little girl?" The woman kindly asked.

Nye scowled, not at the woman but at her own genes, and childhood, for making her the size of a teenage girl who hadn't reached puberty yet. It was only made worse from the fact she knew, Daryl was staring at her now. She refused to look him in the eyes, trying to ignore the weight of his on her.

 _At least I've got the chest of a woman, you dick-bag._ She thought smugly. _One you'll never get to see._

The woman walked up to Rick. "Don't you take him."

"Ma'am?" Rick politely asked.

"Felipe's a good boy. He have his trouble but he pull himself together. We need him here."

"Ma'am, I'm not here to arrest your grandson." Rick assured the confused woman.

"Then what do you want him for?" She asked.

"He's helping us find a missing person. Fella named Glenn."

Nye's jaw dropped.

 _Rick you beautiful genius!_

"The Asian boy? He's with Mr. Gilbert. Come. Come, I show you." She took Rick's hand. "He needs his medicine."

They walked closer to the Vatos, and Guillermo sighed. "Let 'em pass." At his order his men parted ways.

…

"No. Effing. Way."

Nye was the first to say anything since they entered the building. Wait, scratch that, she meant the nursing home.

"All right. All right. Nice and easy. Just breathe. Just breathe. Just let it out. Just breathe. Just relax." Felipe instructed the old man who was struggling to breathe.

Rick looked around at the scene before them. "What the hell is this?"

"An asthma attack. Couldn't get his breath all of a sudden." Glenn told them casually as he stood by the old man, and Nye wondered if he even realized the level of stress he had put them in.

"I thought you were being eaten by dogs, man." T-Dog told him, slightly angry they were worried for nothing.

Glenn nodded down to the floor and they all looked down at the three Chihuahuas in a pink doggy bed.

"Awww. Satan's yard sale my ass." Nye cooed and crouched down, starting to pet them. Causing Daryl to shake his head at her in disbelief.

"Could I have a word with you?" Rick asked Guillermo in a venomous tone.

As soon as they were a short distance away, Rick jumped down the other man's throat. "You're the dumbest son of a bitch I have ever met. We walked in there ready to kill every last one of you." He whisper yelled.

"Well, I'm glad it didn't go down that way."

"If it had, that blood would be on my hands."

"Mine too. We'd have fought back. Wouldn't be the first time we've had to. Protect the food, the medicine what's left of it. These people, the old ones the staff took off, just left 'em here to die. Me and Felipe were the only ones who stayed."

"What are you, doctors? Rick asked.

"Felipe's a nurse a special care provider. Me, I'm the custodian."

"What about the rest of your crew?"

"The Vatos trickle in to check on their parents, their grandparents. They see how things are and most decide to stay. It's a good thing too. We need the muscle. The people we've encountered since things fell apart, the worst kind of plunderers, the kind that take by force."

"That's not who we are." Rick defended

Nye perked up. "Oh, yeah, we don't cut off people's body parts either, it's a long and crappy story on how we got the hand. Total bluff, his idea." Nye looked up at the two from petting the Chihuahuas and pointed at Daryl, to which he replied with flipping her off.

"How was I to know? My people got attacked and you show up with Miguel hostage, appearances."

"Guess the world changed." Rick said, discouraged.

"No. It's the same as it ever was. The weak get taken. So we do what we can here. The Vatos work on those cars, talk about getting the old people out of the city. But most can't even get to the bathroom by themselves, so that's just a dream. Still, it keeps the crew busy, and that's worth something. So we barred all the windows, welded all the doors shut except for one entrance. The Vatos, they go out, scavenge what they can to keep us going. We watch the perimeter night and day and we wait. The people here, they all look to me now. I don't even know why." Guillermo finished with a helpless shrug.

"Because they can." Rick told him, and proceeded to give him his shotgun.

And after splitting the bag fifty fifty, they were on their way.

"Admit it, you only came back to Atlanta for the hat." Glenn teased as they all walked down the street.

"Don't tell anybody." Rick joked back.

Though it seemed Daryl wasn't in the joking mood.

"You've given away half our guns and ammo."

"Not nearly half." Rick defended.

But Daryl continued. "For what? Bunch of old farts who are gonna die off momentarily anyhow? Seriously, how long you think they got?"

"How long do any of us?" Rick retorted.

"Jeez, that's depressing. I've heard cheerier things said by patients who were fatally ill." Nye muttered.

"Patients?" Rick turned his head to ask her as they walked.

"Right, you don't know Nye much, she was a nurse before the fall, and-Oh my God"

Glenn, and everyone else stopped. All but Nye looked terrified.

"Where the hell's our van?" Daryl asked, as if they would know.

"Wait, you lost the van that you drove here in!?" Nye shouted.

"We left it right there. Who would take it?" Glenn asked, sounding frantic.

 _Oh Glenn, you pure soul. Gee I wonder who it could have possibly-_

"Merle." Rick hissed.

"I'm gonna deck him in his shit eating face. No one's getting in the way of my revenge, not even you, Dixon Junior." Nye said darkly.

"He's gonna be taking some vengeance back to camp." Daryl warned.

Nye shrugged stiffly, shooting forward into a sprint. "Then we better start running!"

…

Mason and Toby slowly walked up to the group surrounding the fire, catching the conversation going on.

"Time, it's important to keep track, isn't it?" Dale proposed. "The days at least. Don't you think, Andrea? Back me up here."

Said blonde held up her hands. remaining silent.

"I like, I like what, um, a father said to son when he gave him a watch that had been handed down through generations. He said, "I give you the mausoleum of all hope and desire, which will fit your individual needs no better than it did mine or my father's before me; I give it to you, not that you may remember time, but that you may forget it for a moment now and then, and not spend all of your breath trying to conquer it.""

Amy shook her head. "You are so weird."

Everyone laughed and the boys sat down beside Dale.

"I don't know. I liked it." Toby said, causing Dale to smile.

"Well thank you Toby" Dale gave a pat on Toby's head and turned back to Amy. "It's not me. It's Faulkner. William Faulkner. Maybe my bad paraphrasing." Dale told her.

She nodded, and started to get up.

"Where are you going?" Andrea quickly asked her.

"I have to pee. Jeez, you try to be discreet around here." Amy sighed and everyone laughed once more. Even Mason and Toby were able to crack small smiles.

Everything was fine one second, then the next thing they knew…

"We're out of toilet paper?" Amy asked, and out of nowhere a Walker stumbled out from behind.

And bit her.

"Mom!"

"Carl!"

"Lori, get him down!" Shane shouted over everyone's screaming, and began shooting the Walkers that came out of nowhere.

…

"I spy, something… Green."

"I swear to God Nye, if it's a another tree again I'm gonna-"

Glenn was cut off as they started to hear gunshots and screaming coming from the direction of camp.

"Oh my God." Rick whispered.

"Go! Go!" Glenn yelled and ran ahead.

"Ace, Smalls!" It was like a switch was flipped, and all her childlike playfulness died. Nye darted after him, intent on getting to her boys.

…

Dale was doing his best to protect the two boys next to him. But being only one man, it was no surprise there were close calls.

"Dale!" Mason screamed as a Walker lunged at him.

Dale could only turn his head, busy with the four in front of him.

The Walker grabbed hold of Mason's shoulders, and leaned in.

Both boys were frozen in fear. They all watched in what felt like slow motion, as the Walker opened its mouth, leaned in, and-

 **Bang**

The Walker (Now with a gaping hole in its head) dropped, leaving a clear view of what stood behind it.

The person panted and lowered the shotgun, staring at the boys with wide, tear filled eyes.

"If you don't get in that Winnebago, you both are grounded 'til the end of the apocalypse!" Her voice cracked, and she sounded on the verge of a panic attack.

Both boys sagged in relief.

" **Nye!** "

They both bolted towards her, only for her to point violently at the RV.

"Now!"

Right, they were in a life or death situation. Priorities.

So, even though all three of them wanted nothing more then to run to each other and hug until the sun came up, Nye needed to be able to fight without worrying about them.

And as they ran to the RV, Nye watched intently to insure their safety. But, in her protective haze, she didn't notice the Walker coming up from behind.

She did however, notice the _swish_ and _thunk_.

She spun around, and to her shock she was met with Daryl, lowering his crossbow from its position pointed at her, for the second time that day, and a very dead, and very close Walker on the ground.

All she could manage in response was a nod, which he returned.

And as everything calmed down, they all turned to the dying Amy and weeping Andrea.

"Amy. I don't know what to do, Amy. Oh, Amy. Oh no no. Amy! Amy! Amy!"

Nye swallowed thickly as she witnessed Amy take her last breath. And then it hit her.

 _This is the first death I've seen, and I bet it won't be my last._

Mason and Toby took the lack of gunshots and screaming as a sign they could leave the RV.

Nye, seeing their approach, crouched down on her knees and took the force of both of their bodies tackling her.

"The hell happened to your face?" Mason asked between wet hiccups.

Oh, right, she somehow totally forgot the fact she was decked in the face earlier.

She lightly licked her split lip. "Doesn't matter." She whispered.

She could feel their shaking shoulders and nuzzled her head into them. And despite the chaos around them, it was the most content she felt in a long time.

Over her shoulder, both boys looked up at Daryl, who, unknown to Nye, had been watching the reunion incase any Walkers decided to get up and take them unawares. Both boys smiled widely at him, having seen him take down the Walker that had been going after Nye. Toby mouthed "Thank you" to which Mason nodded along.

Daryl shuffled his feet and nodded to the two, not sure how to take the appreciation.

Jim's voice, low and dark, got everyone's attention.

"I remember my dream now, why I dug the holes."

No body slept that night.


	3. Take on me

**Revised**

* * *

"Boys, I've told you a million times. Get back in the RV." Nye held on to both Mason's and Toby's shoulders as she walked them back to the vehicle.

"But Nye, we can help-" Toby argued, peering back at her as they dragged their feet.

"No, no way in hell am I letting either of you help _drag bodies_."

As they got closer to the RV they saw Lori crouched down next to the corpse of Amy, and her grieving sister, trying her best to get through to Andrea.

"I'm so sorry. She's gone." The brunette spoke softly. "You got to let us take her. We all cared about her and I promise we'll be as gentle as we can." Lori tried to convince her. But it didn't work, nothing seemed to.

At the depressing sight, Nye sighed, crouching down and turning the boys to face her.

"Look, I get it, you wanna help. But even though I let you two have knives, and trust you enough to make your own decisions, I'm not letting you two help with the bodies. I mean, why do you even want to in the first place?" She asked.

Both looked down, seemingly embarrassed. She glanced back and forth between the two, and realization quickly took hold of her expression.

"Oh. I get it, it's because I was gone, wasn't it?" Nye asked softly, guilt eating her up.

Both nodded sadly, and Toby sniffled back tears. "Not just gone. You were _dead_."

She winced, once again beating herself up for getting left behind and putting her kids through that. "Guys…" She took a deep breath and lifted both their heads to look at her. "I promise the second we're done, I'll spend as much time with you as you want, okay?"

Both boys slowly grinned, and Mason started to open his mouth to speak, when they heard a gun being cocked.

"I know how the safety works." Andrea had her gun pointed at Rick, and Nye slowly got in front of her boys.

"Ace, Smalls, last time, get in the RV."

They didn't argue this time, they merely ran into the Winnebago. But Nye could see them peek out one of the windows, their curiosity never sated.

Nye took a deep breath as Rick backed away, and once Andrea put the gun down, Nye turned around and got back to work. The severely psychologically damaging work.

Everyone spent a good part of the morning hauling bodies. And everyone was content on simply keeping a close eye on Andrea and the late Amy. All except one very vocally opposed person.

"Y'all can't be serious. Lettin' that girl hamstring us? The dead girl's a _time bomb_." Daryl argued with the circle of people watching over the two. Rick, Shane, Lori, Nye, and Daryl himself.

"We're keeping an eye on them, just let her grieve man." Nye told him in a tired and subdued voice, as none of them got any sleep, for obvious reasons.

"What do you suggest?" Rick asked.

Nye turned and glared at him for humoring the redneck.

"Take the shot. Clean, in the brain from here. Hell, I can hit a turkey between the eyes from this distance." Daryl answered like it was obvious.

"Oh sure, go ahead and try it, I'd love to see the outcome to that, seeing as how Andrea knows how the safety works now." Nye said to him scathingly.

"No. For God's sakes, let her be." Lori told them firmly, rubbing her dry and tired eyes.

Daryl scoffed and walked away. And Nye patted Rick on the shoulder, going off in her own direction.

She soon found a few bodies that needed moving, so she leaned down and grabbed one of the deceased body's legs. She panted and tried moving what looked like a six foot tall, middle aged man, who thankfully was an old Walker, so she didn't have to drag along someone she knew.

As she pulled she felt some of the weight be lifted, she looked up, expecting Glenn or T-Dog, but was instead greeted with Dale.

Nye smiled at the sight of the older man. "Hey, I've been meaning to thank you for protecting Ace and-" She started.

"Don't, there's no need to thank me, I care about those boys an awful lot. And besides, if you hadn't showed up when you did, things would have been a lot worse." Dale told her, eyes lowered at the thought of letting the kids and their foster mother down in such a way.

Nye nodded and sighed softly, trying to seem nonchalant with her struggle to breath at the moment. "Well still, thanks."

He smiled at her, and she smiled softly back, but it quickly fell off her face as she heard yelling.

"I'll check it out." She quickly assured him, setting down the Walker's legs and jogging over to the other side of camp. When she reached it, she started hearing the argument going on more clearly.

"Y'all left my brother for dead. You had this comin'!"

"Damnit Dixon" She said under her breath, and started biting her split lip. She made her way to them, about to chew out Daryl, when Jacqui shouted something that made her freeze in her tracks.

"A Walker got him. A Walker bit Jim!"

Everyone simultaneously looked at Jim, air heavy with over half a dozen sets of eyes all locked on him.

"I'm okay. I'm okay." Jim started muttering, backing away from them fearfully, hands coming up defensively.

"Guys, just hang on- _Guys_!" Nye tried getting everyone to stop, seeing it was terrifying the man.

"Show it to us. Show it to us." Daryl made his way closer to him.

"Dixon back off, everyone just back off!" She moved closer to Jim, and put her arms up in front of them both.

But Jim had other plans. He picked up a shovel from the ground as a weapon and held it up threateningly. Tension was rising and everyone started talking at once, their voices blurring together, and the only thing left understandable in the mess was the strong tone of fear and distrust.

Nye glanced back, panting as she tried getting him to focus on her, not the people circling with weapons. "Jim, calm down, no one's gonna-"

"Easy, Jim."

"Grab him!"

"Jim, put it down. Put it down!"

Everyone was surrounding them, either in an attempt at comfort, or control. Some of the camp hung in the back, like Glenn and Dale, who didn't know how to stop this without things getting physical.

"I'm okay." Jim continued to mutter, now more to himself than them.

T-Dog ran up from behind and grabbed him, hooking his arms under Jim's. Daryl then ran over, taking Nye's wrist and pulling her away. Moving in front of the trembling man, Daryl lifted up his bloody shirt.

Nye sucked in a deep breath at what was underneath, a hand flying up to her mouth. An angry, red, oozing bite mark stared back at them, sitting above Jim's left hip.

"I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay."

T-Dog let go, and he and Daryl quickly stepped away from him as he repeated those two words, over and over.

"I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay." He panted, and Nye put both hands up to her mouth, trying to process what was happening.

"I'm okay." Jim smiled through quaking lips.

…

"I say we put a pickaxe in his head and the dead girl's and be done with it." Daryl growled, arms crossed as they were back to having this conversation.

"Well, I don't think we care much for your ideas." Nye hissed at him.

Shane shook his head at the two. "Is that what you'd want if it were you?" He challenged Daryl with doubt.

Daryl turned to him, taking a step closer, getting in Shane's face. "Yeah, and I'd thank you while you did it."

Nye quickly raised her hand. "I volunteer!"

Rick sighed through his nose, reaching over and pushing Nye's hand down while Daryl glared at her.

"I hate to say it, I never thought I would, but maybe Daryl's right." Dale voiced himself lowly, causing Nye to gape at him, aghast.

"Dale!" Nye gasped, mouth falling and hanging open in shock.

"Jim's not a monster, Dale, or some rabid dog." Rick defended, shaking his head.

Dale waved his hands, trying to backtrack. "I'm not suggesting-"

"He's sick. A sick man. We start down that road, where do we draw the line?" Rick asked, cutting him off.

"The line's pretty clear. Zero tolerance for Walkers, or them to be." Daryl snapped angrily.

"What if we can get him help? I heard the CDC was working on a cure." Rick tried arguing, grasping at straws in hopes of some saving grace.

"Yeah, and we were teased with a Batman v Superman movie from I Am Legend, but these things are pipe dreams, nine times out of ten." Nye unhelpfully added.

Shane shot her a contemptuous look, and went about ignoring her. "I heard that too. Heard a lot of things before the world went to hell."

"What if the CDC is still up and running?" Rick proposed, turning his head to Nye, now knowing she was a medical professional, and having some hope that she would have heard something.

Shane shook his head, giving his friend a skeptical look. "Man, that is a stretch right there."

"Why? If there's any government left, any structure at all, they'd protect the CDC at all costs, wouldn't they? I think it's our best shot. Shelter, protection," Rick went on to list, making the dangers almost sound worth it.

Blocking out the cops fight over the plan, Nye watched Daryl as the two argued, watching how he slowly grew more tense and agitated, and knowing it was any second till he burst.

"Okay, Rick, you want those things, all right? I do too, okay? Now if they exist, they're at the army base. Fort Benning." Shane gave his own valid reasons in favor of his plan.

"That's a hundred miles in the opposite direction." Lori added quietly, giving both him and Rick an apologetic frown.

Shane nodded agreeingly, lowering his volume at the reminder of Lori's presence. "That is right. But it's away from the hot zone. Now listen to me. If that place is operational, it'll be heavily armed. We'd be _safe_ there."

Nye sighed, and rubbed her temple, asking herself how these two grown men were fighting more than her boys.

"The military were on the front lines of this thing. They got overrun. We've all seen that. The CDC is our best choice and Jim's only chance." Rick concluded his speech, clearly dead set on helping Jim, despite the odds stacked against them.

Spitting a curse under his breath, Daryl leaned off of the RV. Nye watched in trepidation as Daryl looked over at Jim, turning to face where the man sat in the shade.

"You go lookin' for aspirin, do what you need to do." He said, and suddenly ran over to Jim, with a raised pickaxe.

Nye was moving before she could think on it.

"Someone needs to have some balls to take care of this damn problem!" Daryl shouted as he got ready to put the man down.

But as he went to swing, Nye slipped past him and jumped in the way, arms crossed and raised over her head, glaring at him like he was no better than a Walker. His swing faltered, and she could see the shocked look on his face for only a second, before Rick put his pistol to Daryl's head.

"Hey hey hey! We don't kill the living." Rick yelled at him darkly, huffing from the sprint he took to make it.

Nye let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, letting her arms drop limply. Her head ducked, and she put a hand to her heart, wincing at the speed it was racing.

"That's funny comin' from a man who just put a gun to my head." Daryl snarled back, slowly lowering his pickaxe despite the venom he and Rick were trading between each other through their heavy scowls.

Nye internally shrugged as she processed his clever retort. That was a good point.

"We may disagree on some things, not on this. You put it down. Go on." Shane nodded to the pickaxe.

And Nye couldn't help but roll her eyes as he put it down in a way a child having a silent tantrum would. He stomped away, shaking his head and refusing to look back at them as he left to do God knows what.

Nye and Rick walked over to Jim, slow and weaponless.

"Come with me." Rick asked the man, gently nodding for him to get up.

"Where are you taking me?" Jim fidgeted nervously, left hand held against his side to apply pressure to the bite.

"Don't you worry Jimbo, it's somewhere safe." Nye gave him her hand.

…

Nye gently picked up one of the smaller women in their camp, who unfortunately died in the mayhem. She was carrying her to the bury pile, noting that she either didn't have any family and friends here, or they all met the same fate as she did, as no one seemed to be mourning the young looking woman. And as Nye set her down gently, making sure to close the woman's eyes in some small attempt at making her seem at peace, the thing they were fearing finally happened.

Amy started moving.

And everyone started to slowly make their way towards Andrea.

"Amy." Andrea whispered, and stroked Amy's face lovingly, staring into the girl's, now milky white, eyes.

But, no, that's not right. It's not Amy anymore. Amy died the night before, taken too suddenly to do anything but watch her bleed out.

Nye noticed other people coming out of their tents, silent and keeping a distance from Andrea after how she pulled her gun onto Rick, unflinching.

"Amy, I'm sorry." Andrea cried, caressing the Walker's face, once belonging to her sister.

Nye sucked in a deep breath as the Walker reached up, and touched Andrea's face. She wasn't the only one to stiffen and wait, ready to launch into action in an instant to save Andrea.

"I'm sorry for not ever being there. I always thought there'd be more time. I'm here now, Amy. I'm here. I love you." Andrea smiled down at Amy, tears rolling down her face.

Nye jumped violently as Andrea pulled the trigger, almost lazily, killing the Walker once known as Amy. Nye took a shaking breath as it started hitting her all at once. And before she knew it, she was sprinting.

As she made it to her orange van, she opened the drivers side door and hopped in, scooting across the custom white leather seats and slamming the door behind her. This is the apocalypse, of course people are going to die, she shouldn't be surprised by now. Everyone had an expiration date, some sooner than others.

She didn't know why she thought it would, but that thought was supposed to help, and of course, it didn't. It made it worse. _So_ much worse. Because next time it could be Mason or Toby, or one of the other kids.

 _Oh god, Amy was a kid._

And as she swung her door open, and leaned out, losing the contents of her stomach, Nye was glad there was no one around to see her.

…

"Say it." Rick commanded Shane as they dug graves for their dead.

Shane sighed, slamming his shovel into the dirt and staring hard at Rick. "Okay. I'm thinking if you'd of stayed here, if you'd have looked after your own, Instead you went off. You took half our manpower with you. I'm thinking maybe our losses wouldn't have been so bad." Shane scolded, pulling no punches.

"If we hadn't gone off and brought those guns back when we did, I think our losses would have been a lot worse." Rick rebutted. "Maybe the entire camp. And-and what about Nye? We didn't bring Merle back, but we found _her_ , and if we hadn't gone back, _those boys_ ," Rick pointed back to camp. "Would have lost their mother for real."

Shane shook his head at him, as a truck pulled up. Daryl got out, not sparing the men a glance as he helped Glenn unload bodies.

"I still think it's a mistake not burning these bodies. It's what we said we'd do, right? Burn 'em all, wasn't that the idea?" He maintained over his shoulder at them.

Shane clenched his jaw. "At first."

Daryl scoffs "The Chinaman gets all emotional, says it's not the thing to do, we just follow him along? These people need to know who the hell's in charge here, what the rules are."

"There are no rules." Rick emphasized, shoveling more dirt and swiping his arm across his forehead, brushing away the sweat dripping there.

"Well, that's a problem. We haven't had one minute to hold onto anything of our old selves. We need time to mourn and we need to bury our dead. It's what people do." Lori insisted as she came up from the camp, frowning down at all the bodies.

…

"Nye!"

She snapped her head up, drying her tears hurriedly. "Smalls? What's wrong?" She quickly yelled as he approached, grabbing his arms and checking him over carefully.

"The uh, the…" He shuffled his feet, looking down.

"Toby? What is it?" She was starting to panic now.

"The funeral… it's starting." He softly warned her, toying with the hem of his shirt.

Nye deflated, sagging with a sigh of relief. Rubbing his arms comfortingly, she nodded. "Okay. Let's find your brother."

After they got Mason from the RV, they linked hands and trudged up the hill, none of them particularly eager to get there and see just how many graves had to be made. Nevertheless, they got there, left to stand around the makeshift graves. It was made worse when Andrea insisted that she had to be the one to bury Amy, struggling with the limp body.

Dale moved to help her, but Andrea snapped at him, and anyone else about to offer assistance.

"I can do it. I can do it. I can do it!" She yelled, then sniffled quietly. "...I can do it."

Nye had to quickly blink away the tears upon witnessing Andrea break down. She started rubbing Mason's right shoulder, and Toby's left as they both buried their heads in her sides. This wasn't supposed to happen. None of this was. But it did, and they were left with the mess.

…

"Are we leaving or not? Maybe y'all just want to stay here. We could hang some more tin cans."

Nye listened with half a ear as their plan was being discussed between their two leaders.

"Got any threes?" Mason asked her intensely, leaning in to stare into her face.

"Hmm? Oh, uh, lemme check." Nye looked down at her cards, and saw a three. She smirked.

"Go fish."

Both boys glanced at each other, and looked at her through squinted eyes, not believing she was telling the truth. And for good reason, as she liked making Go Fish more like Poker. In layman's terms, she liked to cheat.

Rick and Shane left where they were discussing things in the middle of their game, letting Nye's sole focus fall on Mason and Toby. She looked back up at the boys from her cards, noting they were now whispering back and forth about something. Which was probably a discussion on whether they thought if she was cheating or not. After a few rounds, all ending in one of the boys winning (She may cheat, but she's not a monster) Rick and Shane came back and got everyone together to tell them their plan.

"I've been, uh I've been thinking about Rick's plan. Now look, there are no- _there are_ _no_ guarantees either way. I'll be the first one to admit that. I've known this man a long time. I trust his instincts. I say the most important thing here is we need to stay together. So those of you that agree, we leave first thing in the morning." Shane declared, hands on his hips.

Nye turned the boys around and crouched down. "Guys, I need you to pack all your stuff, okay? And I need you to be as brave about this as you can, okay?"

Both boys nodded, though they both looked shaky as well. And who could blame them, they had been here in this camp since pretty much the beginning.

"Are we gonna find somewhere safe?" Mason mumbled, worrying his lip.

"That's the plan honey." Nye soothed, giving a kiss to his curls, then slipped one to Toby. "Go" She turned them around, giving them a light push. She didn't take her eyes off of them until they climbed into the back of Pumpkin.

That night, Nye, Mason and Toby all slept in the obnoxiously orange van. They had put up their tent, because Nye didn't want them sleeping outside after what happened, just in case.

In the morning light, everyone was standing around in a semicircle, listening as the two camp leaders walked them through how they were going to make the long trip.

"Everybody listen up. Those of you with C.B.s, we're gonna be on channel 40. Let's keep the chatter down, okay? Now you got a problem, don't have a C.B, can't get a signal or anything at all, you're gonna hit your horn one time. That'll stop the caravan. Any questions?" Shane held his hands out with his palms facing up, waiting and open to anything they camp may ask.

Nye was glad she had a C.B hooked up, as honking sounded like a good way to attract Walkers.

Morales stepped forward, glancing back to his family, his wife giving him a sturdy nod. "We're, uh… W-we're not going."

Nye's face fell. She had been waiting for someone to announce they weren't going, she had just been hoping it would be Daryl.

"We have family in Birmingham. We want to be with our people." Miranda explained.

"You go on your own, you won't have anyone to watch your back." Shane tried convincing them to stay.

"We'll take the chance. I got to do what's best for my family." Morales defended, taking Miranda into his arms.

"You sure?" Rick questioned, unsure of the family's odds of survival out there.

"We talked about it. We're sure." Morales nodded.

Rick and Shane handed over a gun and some ammo to Morales. Daryl scoffed, leading to Nye flipping him off. They all said their goodbyes, struggling with seeing even more of the camp leave.

"Come here." Lori ordered Miranda tearfully, and hugged her.

"Good luck, man."

"Appreciate it."

"Yeah. Bye. Thank you. Bye."

Nye walked up to Morales and gave him a quick, bone crushing hug.

"You keep that family of yours safe, okay?" She said, her voice muffled into his shoulder.

"Right back at you Goggle Head." Morales teased.

Nye let go of him and leaned her head back, groaning. "Damnit! I thought you forgot about that stupid nickname. It's _so_ bad!" She stepped away from them after hugging Miranda and the kids, and finally lost the battle and teared up a bit when Eliza gave Sophia her doll.

Nye watched as Mason and Toby hugged the Morales kids goodbye, and as they walked back to her she grabbed them in a hug, ruffling Toby's hair, knowing he was hurting especially, as he had gotten pretty close to Louis.

"Channel 40 if you change your minds. All right?"

"Yeah."

They all watched as the Morales family left, their car kicking up dust as the drove away. Eliza and Louis stuck their heads out their windows, waving goodbye one last time before the car turned down the road, disappearing from sight.

"What makes you think our odds are any better?" Shane whispered to Rick, then turned to everyone, switching back to leader mode.

"Come on. Let's go. Let's move out."

Sitting in the back, Mason behind the passenger seat, and Toby behind Nye, the older of the two was seriously contemplating something of extreme importance.

"Queen! No, no wait-"

"For the love of god! Just pick something!" Toby yelled at Mason, clearly in a bad mood after the departure of the Morales family.

Nye rolled her eyes, reaching down into a small fabric box sitting by the center console, and simply put in the first cassette her hand touched. As the opening to 'Take On Me' started playing, they all grinned and fell silent, patiently waiting for their cue.

" _Talking away, I don't know what I'm to say, I'll say it anyway! Today's another day to find you, shying away, I'll be coming for your love, okay~?_ "

They all started belting out the lyrics, and if you thought they couldn't get any louder or in sync, you'd be wrong. Especially as the next part started.

" _Take on me -Take on me- Take me on -Take on me- I'll be gone, In a day or two~!_ "

It was the little things that helped distract from the new, broken world.

...

"I told you we'd never get far on that hose. I said I needed the one from the cube van." Dale told them in irritation, taking his hat off and wiping his glistening forehead.

"Can you jury-rig it?" Rick asked the older man hopefully.

"Heh, yeah, no." Nye shook her head, staring down at the innards of the front.

Dale agreed, gesturing to the handful of old balled up duct tape Nye pulled out. "That's all it's been so far. It's more duct tape than hose. And I'm out of duct tape."

Shane walked up to them, face set it his usual sour glare, thankfully it wasn't directed at a specific person this time. "I see something up ahead. A gas station, if we're lucky."

Jacqui stepped out of the RV, swallowing nervously. "Y'all… Jim. It's bad. I don't think he can take anymore."

"Hey, Rick, you want to hold down the fort? I'll drive ahead, see what I can bring back." Shane suggested, already moving back to his jeep.

"Yeah, I'll come along too, I'll back you up." T-Dog stepped up, jogging over and jumping into the passenger seat.

As Shane left with T-Dog, Nye walked back to her van, seeing both boys leaning over the front bench-like seat to see what was going on. She peeked her head through the open passenger side window.

"We might be here for awhile."

Both boys sighed.

…

Were they unable to receive good news?

"It's what he says he wants." Rick softly informed them, standing in the door of the RV, just finished talking with Jim.

Nye held her temple. "And he's not, ya know, out of it?" She asked, even knowing the CDC was a long shot in terms of saving Jim, she still had hope, that was now vanishing fast.

"He seems to be lucid. I would say yes." Rick nodded.

Dale stepped forward. "Back in the camp when I said Daryl might be right and you shut me down, you misunderstood. I would never go along with callously killing a man. I was just gonna suggest that we ask Jim what _he_ wants. And I think we have an answer."

"We just leave him here? We take off? Man, I'm not sure I could live with that." Shane cautioned, he and T-Dog just having gotten back.

"It's not your call, either one of you." Lori reminded them, saddened by this, but supportive of the man's choice.

"Yeah, I mean I hate this, but Jim's his own dude, he deserves the right to make this decision." Nye commented in a depressed tone.

It was settled. Rick and Shane got Jim, carrying him to a tree, gently setting him down to rest against it. At least the area was beautiful, full of greenery and birds chirping high up in the trees. It would be a nice place, for it to happen.

"Yeah. That's it." Rick grunted, he and Shane trying not to jostle the man as he was being settled.

Jim groaned and started breathing heavily, his face pale and waxy as he sweated wet patches through his clothes.

"Hey, another damn tree." He said, breathlessly and chuckled, referencing something only a few of the camp could pick upon.

"Hey, Jim I mean, you know it doesn't need to be this." Shane tried persuading the man, looking bothered and even concerned for once.

"No. It's good... The breeze feels nice." Jim closed his eyes, breathing slowly evening out from his previous pained rasps.

"Okay. All right." Shane relented, backing away and giving him space.

"Just close your eyes, sweetie. Don't fight." Jacqui consoled him, gently brushing away his sweat slicked hair..

"Jim, do you want this?" Rick asked him, offering his gun to the man, housing a single bullet at the moment.

Jim limply shook his head, trying to wave Rick off, but unable to move his hand. "No. You'll need it. I'm okay... I'm okay."

After that, everyone took turns saying goodbye.

"I'd uh, hug you but… Ya know." Nye muttered, fearful of causing him any pain. The sentiment made Jim smile faintly. She cleared her throat. "Well, uh, thanks. For everything." And with that she nodded and gave him a mock salute.

Before she could walk away, he called to her. "Protect those boys of yours… N'matter what..." He slurred, cracking his eyes open enough to stare back at her.

"Always." Nye nodded, and as soon as her back was turned she let the tears fall. Walking up to her boys, who were crying like her, she hugged them to her front, tipping her head down to give a kiss on the crowns of their heads. As she looked up, she accidentally locked eyes with Daryl, momentarily surprised by catching him looking in hers and her boys' direction.

And in an act that caught them both off guard, she nodded to him.

And something even more surprising, he nodded back.

It wasn't a simple nod, it held an understanding, a truce, for now. To make sure nothing happened to anyone else, like it had to Jim.

…

"All right, everybody. Keep moving. Go on. Stay quiet. Let's go." Shane urgedin a whisper.

"Okay, keep moving. Stay together." Rick joined in Shane encouragement, leading the way. They were almost there, about to be on the doorstep of the CDC.

Nye kept a tight hold of Toby's hand, who was holding tightly to Mason's. While in her other hand she held her pistol in a white knuckle grip, raised and sweeping to each body they passed. "Keep your heads down, _do not look up_." She hissed at them, not wanting them to see the carnage surrounding them.

"Oh god." Glenn gasped beside her, his free hand pressed to his mouth, horrified by all the bodies around them.

"Eyes front, breath through mouth, keep moving." She stressed to him as she came up beside him, thinking Glenn losing his lunch was one of the last things they needed at the moment.

"Keep moving. Come on."

"Shh."

"Shh. _Oh, God_."

"Keep it together. Come on." Shane hissed.

"We're almost there, baby. Almost there." Lori rubbed Carl's shoulders, the boy looked around with wide eyes, seeming to be stunned by all the bodies.

They made it to the entrance to the building. But there was a problem that quickly became apparent. It was locked, with no sign of a way to break in, the door solid metal, and towering above them. There wasn't even an obvious handle anywhere.

"Nothing?" Shane spat quietly, standing next to Rick at the entrance, and proceeded to bang on the door.

"There's nobody here." T-Dog lamented in defeat.

"Then why are these shutters down?" Rick pointed out, flicking his gun to the windows, all barricaded by metal shutters.

By the back of the group, Daryl heard something, turning around he shouted a warning. "Walkers!"

Behind them a good number of the undead had appeared, either stray ones lured by their scent, or ones from the ground, getting up as they heard the group pass. Daryl shot one down with his crossbow, and immediately rounded angrily on Rick.

"You led us into a graveyard!" He snapped in Rick's face.

Shane shoved him back. "He made a call."

"It was the wrong damn call!"

"Just shut up. You hear? Shut up. _Shut up!_ "

And as Daryl was arguing with Shane, he didn't see the Walker on the ground near his feet, opening its eyes and dragging them over to the redneck's leg, just within its reach. _He_ didn't see it, but Nye did.

Another shot rang, coinciding with the ones T-Dog and Glenn were firing to keep the Walkers back. The Walker at his feet went still, its head exploding in blood and grey matter. Nye was sure she only got such a clean headshot because of its proximity. Daryl jerked at the sudden appearance of blood on his pants, and spun around, staring at the smoking pistol in the brunette's hands.

"We're even." Nye panted, eyes wide and face pale at the horrific sight. It was like a meat water balloon popped, close enough that she saw everything, and could even feel a few droplets of blood splattered on her face.

He opened his mouth to say something, until he saw the dozen Walkers behind the group making their way closer.

Nye looked back too, and passed Mason and Toby over to Dale. "Watch them." Nye told him with force, and got a nod in return.

She turned around back to the Walkers, and started shooting. None of the shots were as precise or lethal as the one she just pulled off, but she was slowing them down at least. Nye could only vaguely hear Rick and everyone arguing behind her, not paying them any mind. Until she heard Rick shout something back at Shane, looking up at the door.

"The camera, it moved!"

She shared a confused look with Daryl, neither knowing whether they should trust the former sheriff's deputy or not. Maybe he had lost it, or, maybe he really was onto something.

"You imagined it."

"It moved. _It moved_."

"Rick, it is dead, man. It's an automated device. It's gears, okay? They're just winding down. Now come on." Shane yelled, pulling his friend away from the door. "Man, just listen to me. Look around this place. It's dead, okay? It's dead. You need to let it go, Rick. Rick, _there's nobody here!_ "

People were getting even more panicked as the Walkers closed in, snapping their jaws and snarling at the fresh meal in front of them. Nye glanced back at her boys, taking in their terrified expressions, her stomach filling up with dread.

"I know you're in there! I know you can hear me!" Rick wrestled out of Shane's hold, glaring up at the camera desperately.

Lori and Shane tried to move him away, to no avail. And Shane turned back to the group in defeat. "Everybody get back to the cars now!"

But Rick wasn't giving up. "Please, we're desperate! Please help us! We have women, children, no food, hardly any gas left!"

"Rick. There's nobody here!" Lori pleaded with her husband.

"We have nowhere else to go!" He argued, pounding on the door. "Keep your eyes open!" He demanded to the person behind the camera. "If you don't let us in, you're killing us! _Please_!" Rick's voice cracked.

"Come on, buddy, let's go. Let's go." Shane pulled him away, holding strong enough he couldn't break away this time.

They started moving back to the cars, knowing the Walkers in their way could very well be the last things they see, all while Rick screamed out at the camera.

"Please help us. You're killing us! You're killing us! _You're killing us!_ "

And to Nye, and everyone else' shock, there was a sharp hiss, as they were suddenly bathed in blinding light.

The door opened.


	4. Counting down

Nye cautiously followed Rick and Shane's lead, not dropping her weapon for a second. She could hear the group behind them, and felt Mason and Toby grip the back of her shirt tightly.

"Daryl, you cover the back." Shane said, to which Daryl nodded, by her side.

"Hello?"

"Hello?"

Nye took deep shuddering breath, feeling the adrenaline fading slightly.

"Watch those doors. Watch for walkers."

"Hello?"

She, along with everyone else tensed and readied their weapons as a gun being cocked rang out. When she saw the person behind it, she blinked in confusion, the man wasn't what she was expecting, she had thought it would be some army general, decked out in camo. Instead, it was just some scared dude in a T-shirt.

"Anybody infected?" He asked, cautiously.

Nye looked down, once again hit with guilt over Jim.

"One of our group was… he didn't make it." Rick told him.

"Why are you here? What do you want?" The man asked, sounding even more nervous.

"A chance." Rick said.

"That's asking an awful lot these days." He told them, taking a few steps forward.

Rick nodded his head. "I know."

It was silent for a moments, and Nye took the opportunity to reach back with her free hand, and both boys grasped her offered hand tightly.

"You all submit to a blood test. That's the price of admission."

Nye deflated, letting a tiny smile grace her lips.

"We can do that." Rick nodded.

As the man dropped his gun, so did Nye.

"You got stuff to bring in, you do it now. Once this door closes, it stays closed."

At his command some of them left to get everything.

"Stay here. Don't argue." Nye rushed to tell the boys, giving them a tense look as they started to open their mouths in protest.

"I'll watch them." Dale assured her.

She nodded and darted outside with Rick, Shane, Glenn and Daryl Quickly opening the back door to her van, and grabbing their bags (And making sure she got Button and Manny)

They ran back just as fast, and if they weren't stressed beyond belief, she would have been insanely impressed with the speed they achieved.

"Vi, seal the main entrance. Kill the power up here." He spoke into a panel near the door. And Nye watched as metal walls came down, blocking up the entrance.

"Rick Grimes." Rick offered his hand.

"Dr. Edwin Jenner."

…

Nye bobbed her head lightly, thinking there should be elevator music playing. She stood between Glenn and Daryl, with the boys leaning against her front.

"Doctors always go around packin' heat like that?" Daryl asked, suspicious.

"There were plenty left lying around. I familiarized myself." He looked around them. "But you look harmless enough." His eyes settled his on the three boys. "Except you." He nodded to them. "I'll have to keep my eye on you." Causing the boys to smile, which Nye appreciated.

As they made their way to, what Nye assumed was the communications room, she felt Mason's hand shaking in her's. The fear of what was coming soon was setting in for him.

"You're gonna be okay." She told him bracingly.

Something he was teased relentlessly about by Toby, was his crippling fear of needles.

"Are we underground?" Carol asked, timidly.

"Are you claustrophobic?" Jenner asked her.

Nye was, she was just better at hiding it.

"A little."

"Try not to think about it."

"Sure thing Doc." Nye muttered sarcastically, only Daryl and the boys hearing her.

They were headed to a large, dark room. "Vi, bring up the lights in the big room."

Nye looked around in shock at the room before them, it looked like every room in sci-fi movie taking place in the future ever.

"Welcome to zone 5."

"Where is everybody?" Rick asked, and that was when Nye remembered that there was supposed to be more people.

"The other doctors, the staff?" Rick asked, sounding more urgent now.

"I'm it…. It's just me here."

Nye's heart sank.

"What about the person you were speaking with? Vi?" Lori asked.

"Vi, say hello to our guests. Tell them… Welcome."

Nye jumped as a robotic voice rang out.

" _Hello, guests. Welcome."_

"I'm all that's left."

They all exchanged looks of disappointment.

"I'm sorry." He said, sincerely.

…

Mason shook as Jenner got the needle ready, and the only thing keeping him in place was both of Nye's hands on his shoulders.

"He okay?" Daryl quietly asked Toby, wondering why the kid was fidgeting so much.

"Yeah, he's just terrified of needles. Nye helps though." Toby nodded.

After Jenner was finished with a very pale Mason, he quickly did Nye, who had been helping with the blood drawing (And took a little too much pleasure in sticking Daryl with a needle) She always made sure to offer her left arm when getting blood drawn, never her right.

Next up was Andrea.

"What's the point? If we were infected, we'd all be running a fever." Andrea asked incredulously as Nye took off the rubber arm band.

"I've already broken every rule in the book letting you in here. Let me just at least be thorough." He capped the syringe. "All done."

As Andrea got up she stumbled, Jacqui and Nye quickly caught her.

"Are you okay?" Jenner asked.

Andrea nodded, and Jacqui turned to Jenner.

"She hasn't eaten in days. None of us have."

Jenner looked around the room, then without warning, got up.

"Follow me."

…

"I'm telling you! Space is the freaky-est thing _ever!_ " A tipsy Nye argued with Mason and Toby.

" **No its not!** " Both of them yelled, followed by Mason shouting "You're delusional!"

"Wait, you think _space_ is scarier then a walker?" T-Dog joined the debate.

" _Yes!_ God, that scene in Deep Impact, were the one astronaut gets his cord cut, or something, and he floats out into space, gave me nightmares for _weeks!_ "

" **Spoilers!** " Both boys jokingly yelled.

"You've already seen it you gremlins!"

They were all learning Nye was a loud drunk.

As everyone was laughing at the three of them, Dale turned to Rick and Lori.

"You know, in Italy, children have a little bit of wine with dinner. And in France."

Nye leaned forward in her chair, nearly falling off in the process.

"Well, when Carl is in Italy or France, he can have some then." Lori said, sipping her wine.

"Boo!" Nye yelled.

And it seemed Rick was on her side. "What's it gonna hurt? Come on. Come on."

"C'mon Lori!" Nye shouted.

Everyone cheered as she relented, and Dale poured some into Carl's glass, then looked to Nye.

Everyone was now watching Nye, waiting for the go ahead. She turned to the boys.

"You wanna try some?"

Both boys nodded eagerly.

She turned to Dale. "Well then, go for it."

"There you are, young lads." Dale said.

Everyone waited in rapt attention, and Nye noticed even Daryl lean forward.

"Eww."

"Blegh!"

"Holy shit!"

They all had different reactions, and everyone was laughing once more.

"Mason!" Nye chastened in between giggles.

"That's my boy. That's my boy. Good boy." Lori comforted Carl, while Nye gave both boys a noogie each.

"Yuck. That tastes nasty." Carl grimaced.

"Damn right it does! Not as bad as whiskey though." Mason said.

"You've had whiskey?!" Glenn asked Mason, and quickly looked to Nye for the story.

"It was before Nye was fostering me though!" He quickly amended.

"Fostering?" Daryl asked.

"Yep, Nye's our foster mom." Toby stated.

Understanding quickly washed over a few people. And Nye saw Daryl looking at her like he'd never seen her before.

Shane nodded to Carl. "Well, just stick to soda pop there, bud."

And just like that, the topic of fostering was dropped.

"Not you, Glenn." Daryl said.

Glenn looked up in confusion. "What?"

"Keep drinkin', little man. I want to see how red your face can get."

"Ooh, I second that!" Nye quickly shouted, not realizing she was backing Daryl in her tipsy state.

Rick tapped his glass, and stood. "It seems to me we haven't thanked our host properly."

T-Dog raised his glass. "He is more than just our host."

"Hear hear!"

"Here's to you, doc."

"Booyah!"

Nye laughed uproariously at Daryl's shout, she and the boys quickly following along. " **Booyah!** "

"Thank you!"

"Booyah!"

But, of course, there always had to be someone to kill the mood.

"So when are you gonna tell us what the hell happened here, doc?"

Nye stopped cold, looking at Shane in disbelief.

"All the uh, the other doctors that were supposed to be figuring out what happened, where are they?"

"We're celebrating, Shane. Don't need to do this now." Rick tried stopping him.

Shane got defensive. "Whoa, wait a second. This is why we're here, right? This was your move. Supposed to find all the answers. Instead we" He chuckled. "We found _him_. Found one man. Why?"

"Well, when things got bad, a lot of people just left. Went off to be with their families. And when things got worse, when the military cordon got overrun, the rest bolted." Jenner slowly told them, and Nye got a bad feeling that this story wasn't gonna have a happy ending.

"Every last one?" Shane asked, disbelieving.

"No, many couldn't face walking out the door." Jenner paused. "They… opted out."

Nye shut her eyes tightly. _There it was._

"There was a rash of suicides. That was a bad time."

"You didn't leave. Why?" Andrea asked him.

"I just kept working. Hoping… to do some good."

Everything was silent as they soaked it all in. Until Glenn broke the silence.

"Dude, you are such a buzzkill, man."

Nye nodded, pouring herself another full glass of wine.

"Yeah dude, not cool." She said bitterly.

…

"Most of the facility is powered down including housing, so you'll have to make do here." Jenner said, leading them through the halls. "The couches are comfortable, but there are cots in storage if you like. There's a rec room down the hall that you kids might enjoy." He turned to the four kids. "Just don't plug in the video games, okay?" They nodded. "Or anything that draws power. The same applies If you shower, go easy on the hot water."

Nye froze, a huge grin splitting her face.

"Hot water?" Glenn asked T-Dog and Nye, awe in his voice.

"That's what the man said."

The two men bolted to find their own rooms.

Nye raced past Mason and Toby. "I call top bunk!"

"Ah, no fair!" Mason yelled, running after her.

"Guys! There might not even be bunk beds! Guys!" Toby yelled, following them both.

…

Nye grinned as the water hit her, thinking about how much she hated the cliché of putting your face under the jet of water, I mean, who _actually_ does that? She tried it once, only to feel like she was drowning, leading her to slipping and falling.

She listened to the boy's pillow fight in the other room (More accurately, Mason attacking Toby with extreme prejudice) And, for a moment, she pretended everything was fine, pretended they were just on a road trip like their first summer with Toby, pretended they would be getting back to school in a few days, pretended they could walk outside and see the world as it used to be.

And as she sank to the floor, she pretended she wasn't crying.

…

Nye turned over, stuffing her face in her pillow, trying to fall back asleep.

But two gremlins killed that dream.

"Nye. Nye. Nye. _Nye wake up! The apartments on fire!_ "

Both boys sat back as the last one did the trick.

"Wha, I'll kill it wit ma bare han's!" She loudly slurred, as she pushed herself up off her front.

Toby shook his head. "What? We said _fire,_ Nye."

"Oh." She let her arms give out, and landed back on the couch, face smooshed against the cushion.

"C'mon, T made breakfast."

…

Both boy's ran ahead of her, taking the plates T-Dog offered. Nye tiredly sat down, nodding to everyone in greeting. Just then, Rick walked in.

"Hello."

"Morning."

"Howdy Sheriff."

"Are you hungover?" Carl asked, fighting a grin. "Mom said you'd be."

"Mom is right." Rick said, fighting his own smile.

"Mom has that annoying habit." Lori joked.

"I think it's a trait all moms have." Nye joked, grinning at Lori and Carol, causing them to chuckle.

"Eggs. Powdered, but, but I do 'em _good_. I bet you can't tell." T-Dog told them, bringing the rest of the eggs, and causing Glenn to groan.

Nye, of course, wouldn't waste this opportunity.

"You alright there Glenn?!" She shouted, right in his ear.

"You. Are. The. Worst." He told her, and went back to groaning.

T-Dog put some eggs on his plate. "Protein helps the hangover."

"Really? Why?" Mason asked, turning to look at Nye, who, was stuffing her face.

She looked up at him, then glanced around the room before shrugging. "Why the hell should I know?" She asked through a mouth full of eggs.

"You're a Nurse, that's why." Toby said, deadpanned.

She just shrugged, and went back to eating ravenously.

"Where'd all this come from?" Rick asked them.

"Jenner. He thought we could use it." Lori told him as she opened the salt shaker for him.

Nye turned to the boys suddenly. "We haven't seen the rec room yet."

She didn't notice Lori tense up.

"How 'bout we check it out after we eat."

Both boy's eagerly nodded.

"Don't ever ever ever let me drink again." Glenn whined.

"Aw, but it was so funny when we heard you belting out Eye of the Tiger in your room." Nye said in a falsely sweet tone.

Shane walked in.

"Hey."

"Hey. Feel as bad as I do?" Rick asked.

Shane shook his head. "Worse."

"The hell happened to you? Your neck?" T-Dog asked, causing Nye and the others to look up.

"Yikes, that looks like it hurts." Nye muttered.

"I must have done it in my sleep." He shrugged it off.

"Never seen you do that before." Rick said

"Me neither. Not like me at all."

Nobody noticed the looks he gave to Lori.

"Nye does it all the time." Toby said, nonchalantly.

"Yeah, one time when we went into the kitchen to get breakfast, her whole right arm was bloody, she completely tore it up." Mason informed them.

And nobody noticed how Nye tensed.

They all looked up as Jenner walked in.

"Morning."

"Hey, doc."

"Doctor, I don't mean to slam you with questions first thing ." Dale started.

"But you will anyway." Jenner finished, as he got his coffee.

"We didn't come here for the eggs." Andrea told him.

Nye, in an uncharacteristic attempt at peace, handed Daryl a premade plate as he walked in (She was in a good mood after a night of getting drunk and _clean_ ) and to her surprise, he took it and nodded in thanks.

 _Looks like I'm not the only one who doesn't get hung over._

…

Jenner led them back to the room Nye thought was the epitome of sci-fi.

"Give me playback of TS-19."

" _Playback of TS-19."_

They watched as images of brain scans came up on the huge screen.

"Few people ever got a chance to see this. Very few."

"Is that a brain?" Carl asked.

"An extraordinary one… Not that it matters in the end."

Nye frowned at the somber tone of his voice.

"Take us in for E.I.V."

" _Enhanced internal view."_

The monitor zoomed in on the brain.

"What are those lights?" Shane asked.

"Synapses." Nye murmured, not noticing Daryl could hear her.

"You know what those are, but you don't know why proteins good for hangovers?" Mason whispered, getting a playful wack on the back of his head in response.

"It's a person's life, experiences, memories. It's everything. Somewhere in all that organic wiring, all those ripples of light, is you, the thing that makes you unique. And human." Jenner told them.

"You don't make sense ever?" Daryl asked, causing Nye to roll her eyes.

"Those are synapses, electric impulses in the brain that carry all the messages." He clarified. "They determine everything a person says does or thinks from the moment of birth to the moment of death."

"Death? That's what this is, a vigil?" Rick asked, stepping forward.

"Yes… Or rather the playback of the vigil."

Nye sighed deeply, putting both hands on the boy's shoulders and rubbing soothing circles in them, she wasn't sure who it was meant to comfort though.

"This person died? Who?" Andrea asked.

"Test subject 19."

Nye could tell, by the forced monotone sound of his voice, that it was someone who meant something to him.

"Someone who was bitten and infected And volunteered to have us record the process. Vi, scan forward to the first event."

" _Scanning to first event."_

Now there seemed to be some virus invading the brain.

"What is that?" Glenn asked, sounding worried.

"It looks like meningitis." Nye said, louder this time.

Jenner nodded at her. "Yes, we thought so too. The adrenal glands hemorrhage, the brain goes into shutdown, then the major organs… Then death."

She knew her earlier guess was right, by the broken way he said the last few words.

"Everything you ever were or ever will be… Gone."

All the lights in the brain went out. Both boys turned and hugged Nye's middle tightly, and she reached up and threaded her fingers through their hair.

"Is that what happened to Jim?" Sophia quietly asked Carol.

"Yes."

Andrea took a shuddering breath, and tried blinking away her tears. Jenner looked at her, wondering why.

"She lost somebody two days ago. Her sister." Lori clarified, and Jenner got an understanding look on his face.

"I lost somebody too. I know how devastating it is." He softly told her, and turned back to the monitor.

"Scan to the second event."

" _Scanning to second event."_

"The resurrection times vary wildly. We had reports of it happening in as little as three minutes. The longest we heard of was eight hours. In the case of this patient, it was two hours, one minute… Seven seconds."

There was a light, starting to flicker in the brain.

" _Holy shit._ " Nye whispered.

"It restarts the brain?" Lori asked in disbelief.

"No, just the brain stem. Basically, it gets them up and moving." He clarified

"But they're not alive?" Rick asked.

"You tell me." Jenner gestured to the screen.

Rick bit his lip and shook his head. "It's nothing like before. Most of that brain is dark."

Jenner nodded. "Dark, lifeless, dead. The frontal lobe, the neocortex, the human part .That doesn't come back. The you part. Just a shell driven by mindless instinct."

They watched as the body started moving more, then, something came down at the top of the screen, and then a whole was being blown in the head.

"God. What was that?" Carol asked.

"He shot his patient in the head… Didn't you?" Andrea said.

Jenner ignored her question. "Vi, power down the main screen and the workstations."

" _Powering down main screen and workstations."_

"You have no idea what it is, do you?" Andrea asked, disappointed.

"It could be microbial, viral, parasitic, fungal."

"Aliens." Nye added, half joking.

"Or the wrath of God?" Jacque said seriously, making Nye feel like a dick.

"There is that." Jenner ignored Nye and nodded at Jacque.

"Somebody must know something." Andrea said desperately. "Somebody somewhere."

"There are others, right? Other facilities?" Carol added.

"There may be some. People like me."

"But you don't know? How can you not know?" Rick demanded.

"Everything went down. Communications, directives all of it. I've been in the dark for almost a month."

Nye hung her head, all the hope of the world being fixed, that she had been keeping in a vice like grip for the last two months, vanished.

"So it's not just here. There's nothing left anywhere? Nothing? That's what you're really saying, right?" Andrea said, sounding broken.

Everyone took it all in. Andrea let out a disbelieving laugh, and Jacque whispered "Jesus."

"Man, I'm gonna get shit-faced drunk, again." Daryl muttered.

"I'll join you." Nye said, once again, only half joking.

"Dr. Jenner, I know this has been taxing for you and I hate to ask one more question, but…"

Nye looked up at Dale, wondering where he was going with this. _What else is there left to ask?_

"That clock" He pointed to a digital clock, Nye only _now_ noticed. "It's counting down. What happens at zero?"

Nye felt something shift, it was suddenly hard to breath, and she slowly turned her head away from the clock with only an hour left, to Jenner.

"The… The, basement generators they run out of fuel." He said, rushing his words.

Nye felt bile rise. She was a movie junkie, she knew a big clock with a countdown was a very _bad_ thing.

"And then?" Rick asked, and when he didn't get and answer, he turned to the monitor. "Vi, what happens when the power runs out?"

" _When the power runs out, facility-wide decontamination will occur."_

 _Mother of God._

…

Nye tried to keep from shaking as she, Mason and Toby played monopoly in the rec room. But the clock counting down set off too many red flags.

"Boys."

They both looked up, worried from the stiff tone of her voice.

"Yeah, Nye?" Toby asked softly.

"You remember how right before everything fell apart, I grabbed as many canned goods as possible, because I just had a _feeling_."

Both nodded, getting even more worried.

"A feeling things were about to go bad, and everything was about to fall apart." She took a shuddering breath. "I'm having it again."

They looked between her and each other.

"A-are you sure." Mason asked.

She nodded. "Go pack your bags. Now."

They nodded, and bolted out the door, quickly followed by Nye. And as they were shoving everything back in their bags, the light went out.

" **Shit.** "

They ran out into the hallway, and saw Jenner walking down it.

"Why is the air off? And the lights in our room?"

"Jenner, what the holy hells is happening?"

"What's goin' on? Why is everythin' turned off?" Daryl asked, and Jenner snatched the bottle of wine out of his hands.

"Energy use is being prioritized." He told them plainly, as they started following after him.

"Air isn't a priority? And lights?" Dale asked, incredulously.

"It's not up to me. Zone 5 is shutting itself down."

"Hey! Hey, what the hell does that mean?" Daryl demanded. "Hey man, I'm talkin' to you. What do you mean it's shuttin' itself down? How can a building do anythin'?"

"You'd be surprised." Jenner said blandly.

"Rick?" Lori shouted down to the other half of the group, the floor below them.

They came down the stairs, and Rick marched up to Jenner.

"Jenner, what's happening?"

"The system is dropping all the nonessential uses of power. It's designed to keep the computers running to the last possible second. That started as we approached the half-hour mark." He explained, and nodded to the clock. "Right on schedule." He took a gulp from the bottle and handed it back to Daryl.

He turned to Andrea. "It was the French."

"What?"

"They were the last ones to hold out as far as I know. While our people were bolting out the doors and committing suicide in the hallways, they stayed in the labs till the end. They thought they were close to a solution." He clarified.

"What happened?" Jacque asked.

"The same thing that's happening here. No power grid. Ran out of juice." He shrugged. "The world runs of fossil fuel. I mean, how stupid is that?"

Nye swallowed thickly.

And it seemed Shane was done with Jenner. "Let me tell you-"

Rick had to grab him and hold him back. "To hell with it, Shane. I don't even care." He turned to the group. "Lori, grab our things. Everybody, get your stuff. We're getting out of here now!"

Nye was about to go and help people pack, seeing as how she and the boys were all set, when an alarm went off.

"What's that?" Shane demanded, with Carl echoing his question.

" _30 minutes to decontamination."_

"Doc, what's going on here?!"

"Jenner?!"

"Everybody, y'all heard Rick. Get your stuff and let's go! Go now! Go!"

"Let's go!"

"Come on!"

And Nye watched in terror as a metal door came down, blocking their exit.

"No. Did you just lock us in? He just locked us in!"

She didn't think she'd ever heard Glenn that panicked, actually, she was surprised she could hear anything over the blood rushing in her ears. She felt frozen, like she couldn't move.

"You son of a bitch."

 _That_ snapped her out of it.

"Dixon!"

"Shane!"

Nye and Shane both ran to Daryl at the same time, right as Daryl grabbed hold of Jenner, Shane grabbed him from behind.

"You let us out of here!"

"No, stop. Don't!"

"You lying-"

"Dixon! Kill him and you kill our way out!" Nye shouted at him over the commotion.

More people came to hold Daryl back, and Nye stepped away a few feet, knowing she couldn't help keep him away from Jenner.

She put her hands in her hair, knocking her goggles askew, and she noticed she was hyperventilating.

"Jenner, open that door now." Rick told him, in a deadly tone.

"There's no _point_. Everything topside is locked down. The emergency exits are sealed."

"Well, open the damn things." Dale said desperately.

"That's not something I control. The computers do. I told you, once that front door closed, it wouldn't open again. You heard me say that."

Nye felt her eyes sting with tears, as she slowly turned to look at Mason and Toby. They were on either side of Dale, and were staring back at her desperately.

Nye didn't see it, but Daryl looked between her and the boys, then hung his head.

"It's better this way." Jenner said quietly.

"What is? What happens in 28 minutes?" Rick demanded, and Jenner stayed silent. "What happens in 28 minutes?!"

"Come on!"

It seemed Jenner had enough.

"You know what this place is?! We protected the public from very nasty stuff! Weaponized smallpox! Ebola strains that could wipe out half the country! Stuff you don't want getting out! Ever!"

Nye felt her whole body tremble, as Jenner went from just a lonely Doctor, to someone deranged.

Jenner took a deep breath, and sat down. "In the event of a catastrophic power failure, in a terrorist attack, for example H.I.T.s are deployed to prevent any organisms from getting out."

"H.I.T.s?" Rick asked.

"Vi, define." Jenner said, sounding exhausted.

" _Hits high-impulse thermobaric fuel-air explosives consists of a two-stage aerosol ignition that produces a blast wave of significantly greater power and duration than any other known explosive except nuclear. The vacuum-pressure effect ignites the oxygen between 5,000Â° and 6,000Â° and is used when the greatest loss of life and damage to structures is desired."_

Nye let out a sob, feeling two small bodies hitting her's, and latching on for dear life.

"It sets the air on fire."

If it weren't for the crying, you could have heard a pin drop.

"No pain. An end to sorrow, grief… Regret." He whispered.

" _Everything._ "

Daryl took one more look at Nye, Mason and Toby, and lost it. He threw the bottle at the door.

"Open the damn door!"

"Out of my way!"

Where Shane got axes, she would never know.

"Daryl!" Shane tossed one to him.

Nye sunk to the ground in between Lori and Carol, gripping the two boys as hard as they were gripping her.

"You should've left well enough alone. It would've been so much easier."

"Easier for who?" Lori asked viciously.

"All of you. You know what's out there A short, brutal life and an agonizing death." He turned to Andrea. "Your, your sister what was her name?"

"Amy."

"Amy. You know what this does. You've seen it." He turned to Rick. "Is that really what you want for your wife and son?"

"I don't want _this_." He said desperately.

Shane gave up, walking up to Rick. "Can't make a dent." He said between pants.

"Those doors are designed to withstand a rocket launcher." Jenner told them.

"Well, your head ain't!" Daryl ran up to Jenner, intending to hit him with the axe.

"Damnit Dixon!"

"Whoa! Whoa!"

"Daryl! Daryl!"

"Just back up! Back up!"

"You _do_ want this." Jenner said imploringly. "Last night, you said you knew it was just a matter of time before everybody you loved was dead."

Nye looked up at Rick in shock.

"What? You really said that? After all your big talk?" Shane demanded.

"I had to keep hope alive, didn't I?" Rick tried defending.

"There _is_ no hope. There never was."

"There's always hope. Maybe it won't be you, maybe not here, but somebody somewhere-"

"What part of "everything is gone" do you not understand?" Andrea interrupted.

"Andrea…" Nye whispered, hoping she didn't mean it.

"Listen to your friend. She gets it." Jenner said, and Nye flipped him off, but he ignored her. "This is what takes us down. This is our extinction event."

"This isn't right. You can't just keep us here." Carol said brokenly.

"One tiny moment, a millisecond. No pain."

"My daughter doesn't deserve to die like _this_."

Nye clenched her teeth so hard she thought they may break.

"I always thought it would be my dad, then I thought it would be walker, I didn't think it would be a crazy doctor in a lab coat that killed me." Toby murmured into Nye's side.

"Well I thought it would be clowns." Mason murmured in her other side, making her let out a tiny, broken laugh through her tears. And _that's_ why she loved them more than anything, they were the bravest kids she'd ever known, and they had the same coping mechanism as she did. Jokes.

"Wouldn't it be kinder, more compassionate to just hold your loved ones and wait for the clock to run down?"

Nye snapped her head up at the sound of a gun.

"Shane, no!"

"Out of the way, Rick! Stay out of my way! Open that door or I'm gonna blow your head off. Do you hear me?!"

"Brother, brother, this is not the way you do this. We will never get out of here." Rick tried stopping him.

"Shane, you listen to him."

"Shane, he wants to get blown up! That isn't a threat, its just speeding the process along!" Nye snapped.

"It's too late."

"He dies, we all We all die! Shane! Shane!"

Nye quickly covered the boy's ears as Shane started shooting a console. Rick fought him for the gun, and after getting it, he hit Shane in the face, and knocked him to the ground.

"Are you done now? Are you done?" Rick snarled down at him.

"Yeah, I guess we all are." Shane said viciously.

Rick turned and hand the gun off to T-Dog, taking a moment to look at everyone, before turning back to Jenner.

"I think you're lying."

"What?"

"You're lying about no hope. If that were true, you'd have bolted with the rest or taken the easy way out. You didn't. You chose the hard path. Why?" Rick asked.

"It doesn't matter." Jenner evaded.

"It _does_ matter. It always matters. You stayed when others ran. Why?"

"Not because I wanted to. I made a promise To her. My wife."

Nye closed her eyes, and hung her head. "Test subject 19… was your wife" It came out as more of a statement than a question.

"She begged me to keep going as long as I could. How could I say no?" Jenner continued.

Daryl started hitting the door again, and if she didn't have two gremlins to hold tight, she would have joined him, even if it didn't do any good.

"She was dying. It should've been me on that table. I wouldn't have mattered to anybody. She was a loss to the world. Hell, she ran this place. I just worked here. In our field, she was an Einstein. Me? I'm just Edwin Jenner. She could've done something about this. Not me."

"Your wife didn't have a choice. You do. That's, that's all we want, a choice, a chance." Rick implored.

"Let us keep trying as long as we can." Lori added.

Nye didn't dare breath, as Jenner looked around them, seeming to be contemplating.

He took a breath. "I told you topside's locked down. I can't open those." And as he pressed a few buttons, the door opened.

Nye felt like she could breath again.

"Come on! Let's go!"

Nye practically carried the boys to the door, while they weren't lagging, Nye happened to be one of the groups best runners, ignoring the fact she'd probably need a puff from her inhaler afterwards, so she was quickly over by the door with everyone else.

"Come on, let's go! Come on!"

"Move it! Move it!"

"Come on, let's go!"

"We're gonna get out of here, Sophia."

Nye watched by the doorway, bouncing on the balls of her feet, as Rick and Jenner exchanged words.

"Let's go! Hey, we've got four minutes left! Come on!"

"Let's go. Let's go."

"No, no, I'm staying. I'm staying, sweetie."

Some froze at Jacque's words.

"But that's insane!" T-Dog agued.

"No, it's completely sane. For the first time in a long time. I'm not ending up like Jim and Amy. There's no time to argue and no point, not if you want to get out. Just get out. Get out."

"T, c'mon."

"Come on, man. Come on! Let's go! Let's go!"

Dale stayed put, watching Andrea, who hadn't moved, and it made Nye's heart hammer.

"Dale…?"

He looked at Nye. "Go, get your boys out." He told her softly. And if it were any other situation, if she didn't have Mason and Toby to think about. Nye would have stayed for Dale.

"C'mon, let's go!" She heard Daryl yell to them.

Nye nodded, and turned, bolting after the others.

They were halfway there when Mason whispered something that made Nye's heart stop.

"Manny."

Nye stopped running, making the two and Daryl look back at her.

"The hell are you doin'? Let's go!"

Nye shook her head gently, looking up at Daryl. "I'll be right behind you, take them and go!"

Mason shook his head frantically. "No! Nye its not worth it!"

But Nye was already running back.

She literally kicked the door open, and scanned the room so fast her head spun. And there it was, sitting innocently on one of the cots. She grabbed it, and bolted back, not even bothering to grab the stuff they hadn't packed yet.

By the time she caught up to them, they were on the base level.

"Get them doors open!"

She ran up to Daryl and the boys, panting from the sprint, and as soon as Mason and Toby saw her, they tackled her once more.

"Daryl!" Rick yelled, and tossed him an axe.

"Daryl, look out!" T-Dog warned and started swinging a metal chair a the glass blocking their exit.

Shane loaded his shot gun. "Dog, get down! Get down!"

He shot it once and barely scratched it.

"Jesus."

"The glass won't break?" Sophia asked.

Carol stepped forward and reached into her bag. "Rick, I have something that might help."

"Carol, I don't think a nail file's gonna do it." Shane barked.

"Fuck you Shane!" Nye yelled.

Carol ignored them both. "Your first morning at camp, when I washed your uniform I found this in your pocket."

Nye's jaw dropped as Carol held out a grenade.

"Holy mother of-"

"Come on. Look out!"

Everyone got down as Rick set the grenade.

"Oh sh-"

"Get down! Get down!"

Nye crouched over Mason and Toby, and suddenly felt someone crouching over _her._

"Shit!"

Nye tensed as an ear splitting boom sounded. All at once they were bolting for the broken window.

Nye jumped down, and turned to catch the boys. Toby was first, then Mason, then they were sprinting back to the van. Rick and Shane, who were ahead of the group, shot any walkers that were getting too close. And Nye watched with grudging respect, as Daryl cut off a walker's head in one swing with the axe.

She jumped into her van, and swung the passengers side door open, shouting "Get in!" To Daryl, who's blue pickup was further away. He jumped in and slammed the door. Nye turned back in her seat and checked the boys over.

"Everyone okay?!"

"Look!"

At Toby's yell, Nye looked back out, and sagged in relief upon seeing Dale and Andrea coming out, but then noticed Jacque wasn't with them. And as she saw them get down, she turned to the back of the van.

"Get down!" She screamed.

The blast was so intense, it felt as if the vehicle became an oven from the heat, and the entire van shook from the explosion.

She shakily sat up, and exchanged shocked looks with Daryl, amazed they actually made it.

"What's so special 'bout a _blanket?_ " Daryl demanded.

Nye let out a shaky laugh. _That_ was the first thing he had to say? "H-his mother made it."

Comprehension bloomed on his face, and he nodded faintly, seeming to think she was less crazy after that.

She leaned back and handed it to Mason. "Don't _ever_ leave this somewhere again."

Mason nodded, clearly to shocked to speak.

She and Daryl exchanged one more look, then he got out, heading for his truck. Seeing the boys were both still shaken up, she started the engine, and pressed play on the cassette player.

" _If today was not a crooked highway, if tonight was not a crooked trail, if tomorrow wasn't such a long time, then lonesome would mean nothing to you at all, yes and only if my own true love was waiting, if I could hear her heart softly pounding, yes and only if she was lying by me,"_

She followed behind the rest of them, glancing back at the boys, she nearly laughed out loud, as both were now sound asleep.

" _I'd lie, in my bed once again, I can't see my reflection in the water, I can't speak the sounds to show no pain, I can't hear the echo of my footsteps, or remember the sounds of my own name."_


	5. Shot

**I'm afraid my laptop (Which is technically my brother's old laptop) has been giving me trouble. And on top of that, I've been working on getting my first job. So, what I'm saying is, updates will sadly take longer than before, but I'll try not to take over two weeks between chapters, if that's possible.**

 **And a huge thank you to everyone who's favorited followed and reviewed, I'm actually really surprised people like this :D**

* * *

They drove for a couple hours, trying to find a safe place to stop and find their bearings. And when they finally found an abandoned town, most of them got out, and started moving things from their cars, they also got rid of a couple of them (Like Shane's jeep, and Daryl's pickup.) the back of Nye's van now held odds and ends from the group, as she now had the most space to carry things, save for the Winnebago.

Nye got back in, slamming the door shut, causing both boys to jolt awake.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauties." Nye shouted sarcastically.

"What's happenin'?" Mason asked sluggishly, rubbing his eyes.

Nye started the van, and began following the caravan. "Well, the alien's who caused this whole thing showed up, and demanded we take them to our leader." Nye said in a serious tone, and merely received two very unamused looks.

"Tough crowd." She muttered. "Okay, we're heading to Fort Benning."

"Do you even think it'll still be there? It might be like the CDC." Toby said glumly.

"We'll just have to see. But, for now, how 'bout some Weird Al?" Nye offered.

Both boys nodded eagerly, and right as Nye went to put it on, the caravan came to a stop.

"The hell…?" She murmured.

Nye picked up her CB. "Dale, talk to me, what's happing?"

" _There' a huge jam, Daryl's trying to find a way through."_

"Shit." She breathed out.

" _Language."_

Nye rolled her eyes and put down the CB.

"So, while we're waiting, you wanna play eye sp-"

" **No.** "

She pouted. "Your loss."

The caravan started to slowly move again, and they began weaving through the wreckage. It seemed they might be able to get through it, until, through Nye's open window she heard something that sounded alarmingly like something in the RV blowing up, and watched as the caravan stopped once more.

She sighed deeply, and got out of Pumpkin, quickly followed by Mason and Toby.

"I said it. Didn't I say it? A thousand times. Dead in the water." She heard Dale saying, as she and the boys made their way over.

"Problem, Dale?" Shane asked.

"Just a small matter of being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no hope of-" Dale looked around at all the cars, fresh for the picking. "Okay, that was dumb."

"If you can't find a radiator hose here…" Shane started.

"There's a whole bunch of stuff we can find." Daryl finished.

Nye grinned, and patted the boys shoulders. "It'll be like a scavenger hunt."

"You've got issues." Mason told her.

"Yeah, and they're called Ace and Smalls." She replied quickly.

"I can siphon more fuel from these cars for a start." T-Dog suggested.

"Maybe some water." Carol said.

"Or food." Glenn added, clearly hungry.

Lori spoke next, and gave them all pause. "This is a graveyard… I don't know how I feel about this."

Nye looked down, feeling guilty for her jokes. But when your coping mechanism is being the "Class Clown" you tend to make a jackass of yourself on accident, a lot.

"All right, all right, here we go. Come on, y'all. Just look around, gather what you can." T-Dog tried to get things going.

"Okay, stay in my sight, check for walkers under it before you try looking into cars, and don't check out the ones with bodies inside." Nye told the boys firmly.

Both nodded, and started looking, while Nye started digging around in an SUV, and ended up finding gum, sunscreen, and of all things, a condom.

Nye snorted, and went to toss it back in the car, only to stop. She glanced up at Lori, and twirled it in her fingers. _If my dead husband showed up and he_ _ **wasn't**_ _dead, I would definitely be in Pound Town whenever possible._

Nye nodded to herself, and went back to searching, reminding herself to give it to Lori as soon as possible, and offer to watch Carl whenever they needed.

She made her way over to T-Dog and Daryl, seeing them siphoning gas, and looked up, spotting Mason and Toby, who both gave her thumbs up.

"How's that liquid death taste, T?" She asked cheekily.

T-Dog glared at her, and continued to suck on the hose.

She grinned. "Ya know, when I was a kid I used to love the smell of gasoline." She continued the one sided conversation.

T-Dog gave her a look that clearly said 'You're batshit crazy'.

He got the gas to the front of the tube, and quickly put the hose in the gasoline jug, all while Nye giggled at his disgusted look.

"Your turn." He told her plainly, gesturing to the next car.

Her smile died. "T, have I ever told you I love what you've done with your hair?"

He merely raised a brow, and she could have sworn she saw Daryl smother a smirk, which she flipped him off for.

She shook her head, just about to give in, when she heard something that made her blood run cold.

A whistle. It sounded totally innocent, except that it was one she and the boys had developed, one they hadn't had to use until now, one they would use if something went seriously _wrong._

Both men saw the blood drain from her face, immediately seeing something was wrong. She whipped around, and hopped on one of the cars to get a better look.

Her jaw dropped as she watched a whole several dozen walkers making their way toward the group, but what was more important to her, was Mason and Toby were closer to the walkers then they were to her.

"Oh my god…" She whispered faintly, barely registering Daryl hopping up on the car too, and cursing under his breath upon seeing the walkers.

Both boys were staring at her, clearly asking what they were supposed to do through their eyes.

She hurriedly mouthed 'Get inside a car' and sagged slightly as she watched them follow her order.

She jumped down, following after T-Dog, all while hoping more than anything, that her boys would be okay.

As she crouched behind a car, and peeked out, she heard T-Dog make a startled noise. And when she looked, her eyes blew wide and her jaw dropped. He had torn his right arm open, from a broken and jagged car door.

"T, w-what…?" She trailed off, the blood spurting from the wound distracting her.

T-Dog shook his head at her, and got back up while clutching his arm tightly. She followed quickly, wondering how things could have fallen apart so quickly.

Nye jogged after T-Dog, quietly telling him to stop. "T, you have to slow down."

He just shook his head and kept stumbling.

Suddenly, a walker came from behind a car, and T-Dog finally fell to the ground, half of his shirt already completely drenched in his own blood.

Nye stepped forward and raised her monkey wrench, but before she could swing, Daryl came up from behind it, and stabbed it in the back of the neck.

She watched in confusion as he dragged T-Dog into a laying position, but realized what it was he was doing, as he put the walker over him.

They exchanged a quick look, and she was quickly rolling under a car he just pulled a walker out of, and watched from underneath as he put the walker over himself.

They watched each other as the walkers started passing them. Nye shook, and felt tears build, but she fought them off, not wanting Daryl of all people to see her cry.

It felt like an eternity, just waiting for the walkers to pass, and as they slowly started trickling off, she felt herself stop shaking.

As soon as they were sure they were all gone, Nye got out from under the car, and Daryl threw the walker off himself, and they quickly went to T-Dog.

As Daryl pulled the walker off the other man, Nye checked the cut.

"Holy motherfucking shit balls."

"That bad?" T-Dog asked, trembling and barely conscious.

Nye swallowed thickly, and suddenly stood.

"I'll get the med kit." She said faintly.

T-Dog shook his head. "Check on the kids first."

"I'm the only one who knows what you need right now-"

T-Dog took a deep breath. "But you're dying to make sure they're fine."

Nye opened her mouth to argue, but no sound came out.

"I'll check on 'em."

Nye turned to Daryl, shocked by his offer. "You sure…?"

He nodded, and got up to go find them, but paused at Nye's next words.

"Thanks Dixon…"

With that, they both went different ways, Nye going for the Winnebago, and Daryl going for Mason and Toby.

They both froze however, when they heard a scream.

…

Things could not get worse, as apparently, not only did T-Dog get seriously injured, but Sophia ran off into the woods.

She kept glancing up at the boys as she bandaged T-Dog's arm. Daryl had kept his word, and brought them to her, safe and sound. She was surprised (And slightly amused.) when he brought them to her, to see both boys talking non-stop, with a clearly uncomfortable Daryl.

Though, the amusement quickly died as they started telling her about how cool he was.

Everyone waited with bated breath, for Rick and the others to come back with Sophia. But, of course, no one was as worried as Carol. Nye closed her eyes tightly, thinking about how horrible this whole situation was, she couldn't even imagine what she would do if it were Mason or Toby out there. And if she wasn't the only one who knew how to properly suture a wound closed, she would have gone out there like Daryl, Glenn and Shane had.

…

"Why aren't we all out there looking? Why are we moving cars?"

Nye looked up at the sound of Carol's voice. She looked around as the rest of the present group moved cars, and sighed, feeling useless at the moment, as Dale wanted her to sit and watch over T-Dog.

"We have to clear enough room so I can get the R.V. turned around as soon as it's running. Now that we have fuel we can double back to a bypass that Glenn flagged on the map." Dale told her.

Shane came up and nodded. "Going back's going to be easier than trying to get through this mess."

"We're not going anywhere till my daughter gets back." Carol told them.

"Hey, that goes without saying." Lori tried appeasing her.

"Rick and Daryl, they're on it, okay? Just a matter of time." Shane reassured.

"Can't be soon enough for me. I'm still freaked out from that herd that passed us by, or whatever you'd call it." Andrea said, pitching a water bottle to Glenn.

"Yeah, what was that? All of them just marching along like that." Glenn asked incredulously.

"A herd. That sounds about right. We've seen it. It's like the night camp got attacked. Some wandering pack, only fewer." Shane said and let out a deep breath.

Nye stayed silent, switching between watching the woods for their return, watching her boys, and watching T-Dog.

Shane let out a deep breath. "Okay. Come on, people. We still got a lot to do. Let's stay on it. Let's go, come on."

Shane glanced at Nye, and she got the distinct feeling he was irritated that she wasn't doing anything. And while technically she was keeping an eye on T-Dog, which was _something,_ she was annoyed at her lack of use at the moment as well, but she'd rather sit here and feel useless and keep an eye on Mason and Toby, than go out there and not know how her boys were doing.

She lolled her head around and let her eyes roam, but stopped and did a double take when she saw Carl over by some cars.

"Carl? What're you doing." Nye asked calmly as she approached him with her hands buried in her pockets.

He swiftly turned around, and smiled slightly once seeing it was only her. "I found something."

Nye smiled back, thinking his grin was absolutely adorable. "Oh yeah? What'd you find." She asked, matching his whisper.

He silently pointed at something in the navy pickup he was standing by. Nye peered in, and grinned widely.

"You, just struck oil dude."

He gave her a confused look, but quickly went to open the door, and grab the arsenal he found.

"Whoa whoa whoa." She gently grabbed his wrist, stopping him from opening it.

She looked through the window again, and found slight solace in the fact the body didn't seem to be a walker, but she still wasn't taking any chances.

She grabbed and readied her knife, and took a deep breath, then nodded for him to open it.

He nodded back and slowly opened the door. He immediately went to grab the leather bound arsenal, but she stopped him again, making him give her an annoyed look.

"Lemme just…" She muttered, and slowly reached over and forced the knife through the back of the body's head. She grimaced at the feeling of the slightly squishy skull giving away, and the knife hitting brain matter. She was definitely not used to using knifes, she much rather preferred her monkey wrench.

She pulled the knife out, and gently nodded to him, giving the go ahead.

He turned back and took hold of the arsenal, and pulled. She watched as it took a few tries, but smiled when he finally got it.

That smile disappeared though, as the force of his last pull made him fall back, and made the body lean out of the car.

She quickly crouched down and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, you good?"

He nodded, eyes not leaving the body. She patted him on the shoulder, gaining his attention.

"You did real good there, Chief." She told him proudly, and pulled him off the ground.

He smiled up at her. "Really?"

She nodded surely. "Hells yeah. Why don't you show that to your dad when he gets back, I bet he'll be super impressed."

Carl grinned eagerly and took off, only stopping to turn around and quickly say "Thanks Nye!" before darting off again.

Nye took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from her brow while she made her way back to the Winnebago, all while seriously wishing she could wear something that didn't have long sleeves, but it was either that, or she show off her arm.

And no way in hell was she doing _that._

…

The sun was beginning to set, and Nye was officially starting to panic.

She took a shaking breath and ringed he hands, staring out at the edge of the woods, where Rick and Daryl should be coming out with little Sophia any second.

"Nye?"

She looked up at Dale as he held out a water bottle to her.

A small breathy laugh escaped her. "Sorry Dale. I was just…"

He nodded. "No, I get it, your heads off in its own little world."

He sat down and they both looked over at T-Dog, who had refused to stay and rest in the RV.

"I just keep thinking of what I would do if it were Ace or Smalls." She said softly.

Dale nodded in understanding, and got back up. "You wanna help with the Winnebago? Help keep your mind off it?"

Nye grinned softly at him. "Dale, have I ever told you you're my favorite?"

Dale chuckled and nodded. "Yes, Nye, you have. Though, I think there are two other people that come before me."

Nye smiled, and quickly checked inside the RV, and seeing that the two boys were still napping in the RV (Crashed from the adrenaline high fading), she agreed and started helping out.

They had been working on it only for a few minutes, when Andrea came over and asked Dale something that made Nye pause.

"Where's my gun?"

Nye looked to a guilty looking Dale as Andrea continued.

"You have no right to take it."

"You don't need that just now, do you?" Dale asked in a soft tone.

"My father gave it to me. It's mine." Andrea said irritably.

"I can hold onto it for you." Dale tried.

"Or you can give it back to me."

Nye tensed, and looked between the two, locking eyes with Shane for a second, and asking him 'What the fuck?' through them.

"Everything cool?" Shane asked the two.

Andrea scoffed. "No, I want my gun back."

Dale turned to Shane, addressing him instead of Andrea. "I don't think it's a good idea right now."

"Why not?"

Nye shifted on her feet, as she understood why Dale didn't want Andrea to have her gun.

Dale paused for a moment. "I'm not comfortable with it." He whispered.

Andrea scoffed again.

"The truth is, less guns we have floating around camp the better." Shane said.

Nye glowered at that, getting the distinct feeling he wouldn't ask for, say, Rick or T-Dog's gun.

"You turning over your weapon?" Andrea asked him, clearly getting the same sexist vibe from him that Nye was.

Shane chuckled. "No. But I'm trained in its use. That's what the rest of y'all need is proper training. But until that time I think it's best if Dale keeps them all accounted for."

 _Fuck you, Shane._

Andrea let out one more scoff, followed by an "Uh-huh." Then she walked away.

Shane turned to Nye, knowing she had a pistol. But before he could even open his mouth, Nye cut him off.

"I'm trained, so don't even try it, asshat." She said in a clipped tone.

She went to walk away, not wanting him to question her, as what she had said was a blatant lie. But before she could, Glenn spoke.

"Oh God, they're back."

Nye ran over to stand near Carol, and swallowed thickly when she saw Sophia not with them.

"You didn't find her?" Carol asked, clearly fighting off a panic attack.

"Her trail went cold. We'll pick it up again at first light." Rick explained and attempted to reassure her.

"You can't leave my daughter out there on her own to spend the night alone in the woods." Carol said desperately.

"Out in the dark's no good. We'd just be trippin' over ourselves. More people get lost." Daryl added.

"But she's twelve. She can't be out there on her own. You didn't find anything?" Carol asked in a shaking voice.

"I know this is hard. But I'm asking you not to panic. We know she was out there." Rick told her.

"And we tracked her for a while." Daryl said, reassuringly. And Nye was starting to not like how difficult he was making it to hate him.

"We have to make this an organized effort. Daryl knows the woods better than anybody. I've asked him to oversee this." Rick told them.

But Carol wasn't listening, and Nye noticed how her face became even paler. "Is that blood?" She asked faintly, and Nye quickly followed her gaze and looked down at Daryl's pant leg, and blanched herself.

"We took down a walker." Rick explained.

"Walker? Oh my God."

Nye was starting to worry Carol was going to faint.

"There was no sign it was ever anywhere near Sophia." Rick told her.

"How can you know that?" Andrea asked.

Rick paused, and looked to Daryl.

"We cut the son of a bitch open, made sure." Daryl told them.

Nye couldn't help it, she let out a low whistle.

Caro slowly sat down on the railing. "Oh God. How could you just leave her out there to begin with?" She asked harshly.

Nye winced at the accusation, but understood to a degree, after all, if it had been one of her boys, she would have decked Rick in the face by now.

"How could you just leave her?" Carol continued.

"Those two walkers were on us. I had to draw them off. It was her best chance." Rick tried defending himself, and Nye felt awful for everyone involved in the situation.

"Sounds like he didn't have a choice, Carol." Shane butted in.

"How was she supposed to find her way back on her own? She's just a child. She's just a child."

Nye looked away, unable to take the scene in front of her.

"It was my only option. The only choice I could make." Rick said desperately.

"I'm sure nobody doubts that." Shane said, but Nye looked at him with narrowed eyes, and couldn't help but feel like his words were insincere.

"My little girl got left in the woods." Carol whispered brokenly.

…

The arsenal was slammed onto the hood of a car and unrolled.

"Everybody takes a weapon." Rick told them.

"These aren't the kind of weapons we need. What about the guns?" Andrea asked in disbelief.

"We've been over that. Daryl, Nye, Rick and I are carrying. We can't have people popping off rounds every time a tree rustles." Shane told her, tired of repeating himself.

Nye grinned and adjusted her gun holster. It had taken some serious arguing with Shane about keeping her gun, but after she threatened to castrate him, Rick stepped in and said it was fine.

" _Besides, she said she has training." He had said, trying to convince Shane, and causing her to wince in_ _guilt_.

While yes, she wasn't _trained_ exactly, she liked to blow off steam at her local shooting range.

It wasn't a very healthy way to cope with stress. Then again, Nye wasn't exactly a healthy minded person in the first place.

"It's not the trees I'm worried about." Andrea said.

"Say somebody fires at the wrong moment, a herd happens to be passing by. See, then it's game over for all of us. So you need to get over it." Shane told her.

While she still felt like the main reason for the whole gun problem had to do with Shane being sexist, she was getting a little tired of Andrea's whining.

She looked back at the arsenal, not bothering to take anything, as she had her monkey wrench. She smiled wryly though, at the childlike look on Glenn's face as he held a weirdly shaped blade.

"The idea is to take the creek up about five miles, turn around and come back down the other side. Chances are she'll be by the creek. It's her only landmark." Daryl told them.

"Stay quiet and stay sharp. Keep space between you but always stay within sight of each other." Rick ordered.

"Everybody assemble your packs. Dale, Keep on those repairs." Shane said.

"We've got to get this R.V. ready to move." Rick told him.

Dale nodded. "We won't stay here a minute longer than we have to. Good luck out there. Bring Sophia back."

"Keep an eye on Carl while we're gone." Rick asked him.

"I'm going with you. You need people, right? To cover as much ground as possible." Carl said, and Nye couldn't help but raise an impressed brow.

She felt two sets of eyes drilling holes into the back of her head, she let out a light chuckle, and turned.

"What?" She asked, though, she knew what.

They both simply stared her down.

She turned back to the Grimes family.

"Your call. I can't always be the bad guy." Lori told Rick.

"Well, they have all of you to look after them. I'd say they're in good hands." Dale said, looking between the six of them.

"Okay. Okay. But always within our sight, no exceptions." Rick relented.

Nye turned back to Mason and Toby. "Well, I can't be the cool one if I don't take you two with me, now can I?"

They both grinned and ran over to the hood of the car and both grabbed something from the arsenal, and Nye saw Dale wink at the three boys.

Nye was about to go over to Lori and give her the condom, to try and lighten the mood a little, when she saw Andrea stiffly walk up to Dale.

"Andrea, I'm begging you. Don't put me in this position." Dale pleaded.

"I'm not going out there without my gun. I'll even say please." Andrea said angrily.

"I'm doing this for you."

"No, Dale, you're doing it for you. You need to stop. What do you think's gonna happen? I'm gonna stick it in my mouth and pull the trigger the moment you hand it to me?"

Nye winced at the harshness of her words.

"I know you're angry at me. That much is clear." Dale whispered. "But if I hadn't done what I did, you'd be _dead_ now."

"Jenner gave us an option. I chose to stay." Andrea argued.

"You chose suicide." Dale said intensely.

"So what's that to you? You barely know me."

"I know Amy's death devastated you."

"Keep her out of this." She quickly cut him off. "This is not about Amy. This is about us. And if I decided that I had nothing left to live for, who the hell are you to tell me otherwise? To force my hand like that?" She finished thickly.

"I saved your life." He said softly.

"No, Dale. I saved yours. You forced that on me. I didn't want your blood on my hands and that is the only reason I left that building. What did you expect? What, I'd have some kind of epiphany? Some life-affirming catharsis?"

Nye looked around and saw that, at this point, everyone was watching the scene unfold, even Daryl.

"Maybe just a little gratitude."

"Gratitude?" She asked in disbelief. "I wanted to die my way, not torn apart by drooling freaks. That was my choice. You took that away from me, Dale."

"But-"

"But you know better? All I wanted after my sister died was to get out of this endless horrific nightmare we live every day. I wasn't hurting anyone else. You took my choice away, Dale. And you expect _gratitude_?"

Dale shook his head. "I don't know what to say."

"I'm not your little girl. I'm not your wife. And I am sure as hell not your problem. That's all there is to say."

Nye hung her head, looking up through her lashes at the heartbroken look on Dale's face. She gave her best reassuring smile to him, then turned to the boys, nodding to them to follow the group into the forest. All while feeling horrible for leaving him like that, and glaring ahead at Andrea's back.

…

They made their way through the foliage, trying to spot any sign of Sophia, and keeping an eye out for walkers.

"I _spy…_ "

Both boys in front of her turned their heads sharply, glaring daggers at her.

Nye simply stuck her tongue out at them. She looked back behind her, and noted with a frown that Carl looked like someone kicked his puppy. So, naturally, there was only one thing to do.

"Psst."

Carl and a few others looked up. But she only looked at Carl.

"Wanna play eye spy?" She asked him in a hushed and over eager voice.

He looked at her like she was insane, but smiled nonetheless, leading Lori to mouth 'Thank you'.

Nye looked up as they came to a stop.

"She could be in there." She heard Shane say.

She came up to the front of the group, telling the boys to stay behind, and saw a yellow camping tent up ahead.

"Could be a whole bunch of things in there." Daryl replied.

Daryl, Rick, Shane and Nye all made their way over to it. Daryl took out his knife and went ahead, getting closer the tent. Nye tensed as he peered in and shrugged.

Rick turned back to the group, and whispered "Carol. Call out softly. If she's in there, yours is the first voice she should hear."

Carol came forward. "Sophia, sweetie, are you in there? Sophia, it's mommy. Sophia. We're all here, baby. It's mommy." Carol's voice came out more desperate the longer she spoke.

Nye, Rick and Shane came forward, and Daryl started to unzip the tent. He pulled it back and coughed softly, before going in.

Suddenly, Nye leaned forward and gagged violently.

 _What in the holy fucking hell is that!?_

It was probably the _worst_ thing she had smelled in a while, and it was coming from the tent.

"Daryl? Daryl?" Carol called out, growing worried.

"Yo Dixon, you dead?" Nye asked hoarsely.

He came out. "It ain't her."

Nye sighed harshly.

"What's in there?" Andrea asked.

"Some guy. Did what Jenner said. Opted out. Ain't that what he called it?" Daryl said, staring at Andrea pointedly.

Suddenly, of all things, church bells started ringing.

"Holy fuc-" Nye started to whisper so faintly no one else heard her.

Rick pointed in a direction, and then they were all sprinting.

"What direction?" Shane asked, out of breath.

"I think that way. I'm pretty sure." Rick answered.

"Damn, it's hard to tell out here."

"If we heard them, maybe Sophia did too." Carol said hopefully.

"Someone's ringing those bells, maybe calling others." Glenn added.

"Or signaling they found her." Andrea said.

"She could be ringing them herself. Come on." Rick told them, and they all started running again.

They eventually came upon a church, but something didn't add up.

"That can't be it. Got no steeple, no bells." Shane said, but Rick was already going. "Rick!"

They, of course, ran after him.

"Son… of… a…" Nye said between pants.

They went up the steps, and Nye froze when they swung the door open, seeing what looked like people at first. But she quickly saw they were already dead.

Daryl, Rick and Shane swiftly dispatched the three walkers, and the rest of the group started making their way in.

Nye frowned softly the second her foot touched the carpeted floor, and she slowly walked up to the front of the church, staring at the crucifix.

"Sophia!" She heard Rick yell desperately.

She stopped beside Daryl.

"Yo, J.C, you taking requests?"

She looked sideways at him, not knowing weather to laugh, or cry at this point.

"I'm telling you, it's the wrong church. It's got no steeple, Rick. There's no steeple." Shane agued, but was quickly proven wrong.

The bells rang again, much louder this time, and it was clear that this _was_ the right church.

They all shared a look, and bolted out the door. Daryl and Glenn made it first, and Nye saw the horn and wire right as Glenn tore out some wiring in the power box on the side of the building.

"A timer. It's on a timer." Daryl said, out of breath, and Nye felt like she was punched in the gut.

"I'm gonna go back in for a bit." Carol said softly.

Everyone but Daryl, Nye, Andrea, Lori and Shane went back in. The boys both paused, seeing Nye not following, but she just nodded, silently telling them it was fine, and that they could go in, which they did.

She walked away from the church, and over to the headstones, slowly sitting down and leaning on one.

"Hope you don't mind and come back to haunt my ass." Nye said out of breath, only half joking, as really nothing would surprise her anymore.

"Ain't goin' back in?"

A shadow fell over her, she opened her eyes ( _When'd she shut them?_ ) and looked up at the person before her.

"Not really all that religious." She said simply, wondering why the hell Daryl was talking to her.

He nodded, as if expecting that, and she hoped he didn't notice how tense she became at the current topic.

She absently wiped the sweat from her forehead, and took another deep breath.

"The hell do you wear that for?" He suddenly asked.

She looked at him, totally thrown, that is until she saw he was looking at her white and grey striped jacket, the obvious cause of her flushed face and trouble breathing.

Now she _knew_ he saw her tense.

"Doesn't matter. Why aren't _you_ in there." She evaded.

He looked at her strangely, clearly wanted an explanation, and Nye was shocked when he simply shrugged and said "Not all that religious either."

She blinked owlishly at him. _That's it? No pushing the topic whatsoever? Holy shit._

"Nye!"

She and Daryl both looked up as Mason and Toby ran up to them.

"Are you okay? You look like you're having trouble breathing, do you need your inhaler?" Toby asked kindly.

Nye shut her eyes and hung her head, and while she loved him with all her heart, she really wished he hadn't picked that exact moment.

She could feel Daryl's stare on her, and heard Mason wack Toby on the back of his head.

"Dude! If front of Daryl? You know she tries to look badass in front of him." Mason chastised him.

And now, her flushed face wasn't from the heat.

She snapped her head up and glared at them both with tight lips, causing both boys to pale.

"W-what?" Mason stuttered.

She continued to glare.

"H-he was the one who…"

She kept on going.

"Fine, sorry." Mason finally muttered.

Nye nodded and got up, refusing to look at Daryl. She just hoped he didn't take it the way it sounded, as she only wanted to be badass in front of him to prove to him she was better.

"Ahem." Shane got their attention. "Y'all gonna follow the creek bed back, okay? Daryl, you're in charge. Me and Rick, we're just gonna hang back, search this area another hour or so just to be thorough."

"You're splittin' us up. You sure?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah, we'll catch up to you." Shane assured.

"I want to stay too. I'm her friend." Carl said, making them all look between him and the parents.

Lori surprised them by giving the go ahead. "Just be careful, okay?"

"I will." He told her and she pulled him into a hug.

"When did you start growing up?" She asked him fondly.

Nye looked around the group, and frowned at the decided "teams", more specifically, the incredibly uneven sides.

Rick walked up to Lori and gave her a kiss. "I'll be along soon enough." He pulled back and took out his gun. "Here, take this. Remember how to use it?"

"I'm not taking your gun and leaving you unarmed." Lori told him.

"Here, got a spare. Take it." Daryl handed her his spare, and Nye couldn't fight off the feeling it gave her seeing him do that, it was something akin to being proud, and she didn't like that.

"Hold up."

At her command, everyone turned and looked at her in question.

She hesitated a second, before nodding at Rick. "I'm coming with you."

Shane spoke first. "You sure that's a good idea?" He asked, and stared pointedly at Mason and Toby.

She nodded, turning her head to the boys. "Stay with the group, always in someone's sight," She paused, and grimaced, like the next words hurt to say. "And listen to Dixon…" She muttered.

They both nodded hesitantly.

She smiled at them reassuringly, and turned back to Rick, Shane and Carl. "Safety in numbers, which, this team's lacking."

Rick nodded. "Alright."

…

They walked along, Rick leading, Shane in the middle, and Nye and Carl in the back, who were respectively making faces and laughing quietly at each other.

Until a few branches snapped.

Rick held up a hand, signaling them to stop, then pointed in the direction he heard it.

They looked through the trees, and when Nye saw what it was, she grinned like a maniac.

A beautiful buck stepped out and let them all stare at it in awe.

Shane started to raise his gun, but Rick stopped him, and nodded at Carl, who was slowly walking toward the buck.

Nye only faintly noticed him dragging her along, as they had been holding hands while walking (Not for safety reasons, they were just swinging them back and forth in boredom) though Nye made sure she was partially behind him, wanting him to have this moment to himself.

He looked back a Rick and Shane, and then turned back to the deer, a huge smile plastered on his face.

Nye grinned, wishing Mason and Toby could-

 **Bang!**

Her heart stopped. Something warm splattered the side of her face. She felt his small hand slip from her's.

And she looked down to see Carl limp, laying on the ground…

Shot.


	6. Take it from me

**I was able to get this out waaaaay faster than I thought, but what I said still stands, and updates will still be slower.**

 **(Spoilers for this chapter and some chapters onward) I realized I hyped up her arm a lot, and yeah that was intended, but uh, don't expect a long wait and a grand reveal of what's up with it. *Cough* This chapter *Cough*. But get excited, these up coming chapters will have** _ **much**_ **more Daryl and Nye interaction… Just not in this one.**

 **Again, thanks for all the support, you guys are awesome :)**

 **(Also, Nye and Daryl need a ship name.)**

* * *

She was running faster then she every thought possible, jumping over any obstacle in her way and darting through the trees incasing them.

She glanced behind herself as they made it to a field, and blanched further upon seeing the pale and limp Carl, being carried by his hysteric Father.

"Go! Go tell them!"

Rick's plea was met with a quick nod, and she pumped any energy she had left into her legs, going faster than she thought possible by this point. She nearly tripped about a dozen times in her haste, but when she saw fences, a barn, and a _house,_ it was like all the energy she had was zapped away, and she found herself collapsing in front of the steps to the house.

A women Nye would guess was around her own age, give or take a couple years, stared at her in shock.

"Deer… Accident… Shot… Carl…" Nye rasped between pants, digging her fingers into the dirt, and trying to keep from passing out.

The brunette women stared at her in worry, and when she looked up to the field, Nye saw her pale.

"Dad!" The women quickly shouted and ran into the house, sounding panicked.

Nye glanced behind herself, and whimpered slightly at the sight of the bloodied Carl. The screen door swung open, and five figures came out. The brunette from a few seconds ago, a younger looking girl, this one blonde, a teenage boy carrying a wooden bat and seeming to be the same age as the blonde, a middle aged blonde woman, and finally, an older man with thinning white hair.

 _Hershel._

The family watched in trepidation as Rick ran up to the house.

"Was he bit?" The man who Nye would bet her Pokémon cards was Hershel, asked.

"Shot, by your man." Rick said hoarsely, stumbling and gripping Carl tightly, looking ready to pass out himself.

"Otis?" The blonde woman asked in shock.

"He said find Hershel. Is that you?" Rick asked in a broken voice. "Help me. Help my boy." He begged.

"Get him inside. Inside! Patricia, I need my full kit." The man quickly ordered, rolling up his sleeves and leading them inside.

Nye slowly got back up, stumbling on her numb legs and wishing dearly she had her inhaler. She stumbled into the house, faintly hearing the man give orders, and like a switch had been flipped, she was back to nurse mode. She darted into the room they were setting up for Carl and braced a hand against the doorway.

She panted. "I can help." She took a deep breath, holding it for a second before continuing. "I was a nurse, I can help."

Hershel merely nodded and turned to Rick, who was closer. "Pillowcase."

But Rick was in a daze. "Is-is he alive?"

Hershel didn't reply. "Pillowcase, quick."

"Is-is he alive?" He asked again, but did as Hershel instructed.

"Fold it. Make a pad. Put pressure on the wound." He ordered and checked Carl's chest with a stethoscope. "I've got a heartbeat. It's faint."

Nye sagged against the doorway, it was great news, but also worrisome.

"I got it. Step back." The woman Nye assumed was Patricia ordered.

Hershel pulled back from Carl "Maggie, IV."

Nye perked up, as IV's were something she could easily help with.

"Your name?" Hershel asked.

"R-Rick." He shakily replied, and didn't take his eyes off Carl.

"Rick?"

He nodded numbly. "I'm-I'm-I'm Rick."

Hershel nodded at Rick. "Rick, we're gonna do everything we can, okay? You need to give us some room."

Rick didn't move.

"Now."

Nye stepped forward as Rick stepped out of the room, opening her mouth to repeat her offer to help, but Hershel cut her off.

"You said you're a nurse?"

She nodded dumbly.

"Alright then."

And Nye took that as a go ahead.

"'M Nye, by the way." She said faintly as she took up the IV job.

Nye took a few calming breaths and glanced up at the doorway when she heard two heavy sets of feet make their way in, who she quickly saw were Rick and Shane.

"You know his blood type?" Hershel asked.

"A-positive, s-same as mine." Rick answered, and Nye paused.

"That's fortunate. Don't wander far, I'm gonna need you."

Nye, without thinking, muttered "O neg."

They all gave her confused looks, and she quickly realized why. She looked up and locked eyes with everyone briefly. "I'm O negative."

Hershel nodded. "We'll keep that in mind" And turned to Otis. "What happened?"

"I was tracking a buck. Bullet went through it. _Went clean through_."

Nye took solace in the fact the man looked broken up about it, but it didn't mean he was off the hook in her eyes, not even by a little.

"The deer slowed the bullet down, which certainly saved his life, but it did not go through clean. It broke up into pieces." Hershel informed them. "If I can get the bullet fragments out. And I'm countin' six."

"I never saw him. Not until he was on the ground." Otis whispered to Patricia, and Nye put two and two together that they were married from the wedding bands on their fingers.

Suddenly, Rick spoke. "Lori doesn't know."

Nye sucked a breath sharply through her teeth.

"My wife doesn't know… My wife doesn't know." Rick whimpered, and Nye felt her eyes sting for him.

 _You happy now? Happy a little girls missing, and a little boys been shot. Well I'm telling you now, if you pull some shit and hurt Mason or Toby in any way, I'm gonna find a way to kick your holy bearded ass._

…

"You still worrying about it?" Andrea asked Lori and stopped the group.

"It was a gunshot." Was Lori's simple reply.

"We all heard it." Daryl said.

Lori turned. "Why one. Why just one gunshot?"

Daryl shrugged. "Maybe they took down a walker."

"Please don't patronize me. You know Rick wouldn't risk a gunshot to put down one walker, or Shane, or even Nye."

Both boys scowled at the 'Even' line.

"They'd do it quietly."

"Shouldn't they have caught up with us by now?" Carol added.

"There's nothing we can do about it, anyway. Can't run around these woods chasing echoes." Daryl said, and Mason and Toby nodded along, clearly they were going to agree with whatever he said, blinded by hero worship ever since he got them from the car.

"So, what do we do?" Lori asked.

"Same as we've been. Beat the bush for Sophia, work our way back to the highway."

Andrea nodded. "I'm sure they'll hook up with us back at the RV."

They made it a couple yards, the boys making sure to walk next to Daryl, and they were once again stopped.

"I'm sorry for what you're going through. I know how you feel." Andrea said to Carol.

"I suppose you do. Thank you." Carol looked around the woods. "The thought of her, out here by herself It's the not knowing that's killin' me. I just keep hopin' and prayin' she doesn't wind up like Amy."

Everyone winced hard at that, and Mason even muttered "Daaaamn…"

Carol realized what she said and looked horrified by her own words. "Oh, God! That's the worst thing I ever said."

Andrea swallowed thickly. "We're all hoping and praying with you, for what it's worth."

Daryl came forward. "I'll tell ya what it's worth. Not a damn thing. It's a waste of time, all this hopin' and prayin'." He looked to Carol. "We're gonna locate that little girl. She's gonna be just fine." He turned and started walking again. "Am I the only one zen around here? Good lord."

Both boys grinned largely and ran to catch up with him, Mason leaned and whispered to Toby. "We gotta make Nye like him."

Toby nodded.

…

Nye froze, and stared in fear as Carl started coming to, screaming and crying.

"Maggie, get Rick."

Maggie followed her fathers order, and Nye wished Rick didn't have to witness this.

"Gonna be okay… You're gonna be okay Carl…" She faintly whispered, not knowing who she was trying to comfort at the moment.

Maggie brought Rick and Shane in and Hershel immediately told the latter to hold down the crying boy.

Shane did as he was instructed.

Carl screamed and cried, and Nye felt like throwing up. She wasn't a trauma nurse, and top of that, this was _Carl._

"Dad!"

Hershel pushed the plyers inside Carl deeper, reaching for a bullet fragment. "Almost there."

Carl let out a blood curdling scream, and Rick couldn't take it anymore. "Stop! You're killin' him!"

"Rick, do you want him to live?" Hershel asked harshly.

"He needs blood." Patricia told Rick, looking at him expectantly.

Nye jumped as Shane yelled at Rick. "Do it now!"

Rick gave her his arm, but suddenly Carl stopped moving, and both men looked terrified.

"Wait-wait, hey…" Shane muttered, too scared to put a sentence together.

"Passed out. He's fine." Nye softly told them.

Hershel pulled out a fragment of the bullet. "One down Five to go."

Nye was told to put in the IV, and Hershel put a blood pressure cuff on Carl.

"Pressure's stable." Hershel informed them.

"Lori needs to be here. She doesn't even know what's goin' on." Rick said. "I got-I gotta go find her, bring her back."

Hershel shook his head. "You can't do that."

"She's his mother! She needs to know what's happened. Her son's lying here, shot."

"And he's going to need more blood." Hershel cut him off.

"Nye's O negative!" Rick argued.

"Doesn't matter." He turned to Shane. "He can't go more than fifty feet from this bed."

Rick slowly got up, needing Patricia to stabilize him after giving so much blood.

Nye, this whole time, had just been sitting beside the bed, watching over Carl silently, and every so often, she'd blink and his hair would suddenly be curly, or darker, and his pale face would have a smattering of freckles, or he would be missing his two top front teeth. It hurt, her own head messing with her to make her see the thing she feared most.

…

"We'll lose the light before too long. I think we should call it." Daryl told them.

"Let's head back." Lori agreed.

"We'll pick it up again tomorrow?" Carol asked hopefully.

"Yeah, we'll find her tomorrow." Lori assured her.

Daryl whistled and they started moving again.

Toby pulled his backpack off and looked through it, hoping to find a flashlight incase it took them until dark to get back. He froze however, when his hand touched something that wasn't meant to be there.

"Oh no."

The group paused again, looking at Toby in worry.

"What's wrong?" Lori asked, but Toby was to busy panicking to answer.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" He just kept muttering, this time Mason stepped up.

"Shit! Don't tell me she forgot it!" Mason said, seeming to know what was wrong.

"What's goin' on?" Daryl asked, to which Mason threw up his hands in frustration.

"She forgot her _freakin'_ inhaler! Again!" Mason said angrily, while Toby was just worried.

"You don't think she'll have an attack? Do you?" Toby worriedly asked.

"Its been a few months, I think she'll be fine." Though, there was worry laced in Mason's reply.

They started moving again after that, and people were starting to get tired.

"How much farther?" Lori asked.

"Not much Maybe a hundred yards as the crow flies." Daryl replied.

"The hells that mean?" Mason asked.

"Maybe Nye will know." Toby said, and was about to start another round of asking if he thought she'd be okay without her inhaler, when they heard a scream.

"Andrea?!" Lori yelled.

They all ran to her, seeing a walker going in for the kill, when out of nowhere a chick on a horse rode up and swung a baseball bat at it, knocking it off Andrea.

"Lori? Lori Grimes?" She asked quickly.

They all exchanged confused looks, and Lori stepped forward.

"I'm Lori."

"Rick sent me. You've got to come now." She said.

"What?"

"There's been an accident. Carl's been shot. He's still alive but you've gotta come now. Rick needs you." The woman said this all without taking a breath.

Lori stood in shock, so did everyone else.

"Just come!" She urged.

Lori went up to the horse, looking dazed.

"Whoa-whoa-whoa! We don't know this girl. You can't get on that horse." Daryl tried stopping her, but the woman on the horse spoke up.

"Rick said you had others on the highway, that big traffic snarl?"

Glenn nodded dumbly. "Uh-huh."

She nodded. "Backtrack to Fairburn Road. Two miles down is our farm. You'll see the mailbox. Name's Greene. Hiyah!"

They watched as they rode away, all frozen and processing what just happened. The walker she knocked off Andrea wheezed and sat back up.

"Shut up." Daryl said, and promptly shot it dead.

…

"Shot? What do ya mean shot?!" Dale asked, worried.

Glenn panted shook his head. "I don't know, Dale. I wasn't there. All I know is this chick rode out of nowhere like Zorro on a horse and took Lori."

Dale turned to Daryl. "You let her?" He asked accusingly.

"Climb down out of my asshole, man. Rick sent her. She knew Lori's name and Carl's." Daryl defended, backed up by both boys nodding.

Andrea made her way over the guard rail, and Dale immediately went to her. "I heard screams. Was that you?"

She completely ignored him and continue walking.

"She got attacked by a walker. It was a close call." Glenn explained.

Dale looked over to her as she made her way over to the RV. "Andrea, are you all right?"

She merely glared at him, shaking her head in disbelief, and slammed the RV door.

No one spoke for a few seconds, until Mason broke the silence.

"I think she's mad."

…

Nye slumped in her seat, staring blankly at the needle in her left forearm, the same one she offered to Jenner during their blood tests. Her mind drifted to all sorts of deferent thoughts and worries about her boys, and she remembered with a huff of a laugh that she once again forgot her inhaler. Chances were Toby noticed by now and was freaking out.

Two figures came through the door, and she quickly looked up at them. She frowned in sympathy at the broken look on Lori's face.

Nye watched, trying to make herself as small as possible, as Lori came over to Carl, holding his face gently between her hands.

"My baby boy. Baby boy. It's okay. Mama's here. Mama's here. You're gonna be okay. You're gonna be okay." She whispered brokenly, reaching for Rick's hand behind her. "We're gonna make you okay."

At some point Hershel and Patricia came back in, and Patricia took out Nye's IV. She quickly tugged the sleeve of her jacket back down, even though it was her right arm she felt the need to hide.

"Why are you doin' this?" Lori asked her softly when she saw the IV get taken out, wondering why she was so eager to help, and to give blood.

Nye smiled softly at the other woman. "Cause if it were Ace or Smalls, I know you'd do the same." Nye looked over at Carl and smiled softly. "And cause Carl's a great kid."

Lori nodded, and looked between Rick and Nye's pale complexions. "How many transfusions?"

"Two. Only two." Rick assured her.

"This is my first one." Nye answered.

Lori looked to Rick. "You know he wanted to do the same for you when you were in the hospital. I had to talk him out of it."

Rick nodded his head, a pained smile growing on his face.

Hershel and Patricia took Rick and Lori to another room for a talk, leaving Nye alone with the unconscious child.

She sighed and adjusted in her seat, watching him like a hawk.

"Tell you what, if you just stay alive and heal up, I'll tell you my full name." Nye told him, as if it were some grand prize. "That's top secret information. Information only Ace and Smalls have access to," Nye sighed. "So you better be okay." She finished softly.

In the dinning room, they were discussing the surgery.

"Okay, as soon as they get back you can perform this surgery?" Lori asked.

"I'll certainly do my best." Hershel told them.

Lori nodded. "Okay I mean, you've done this procedure before?"

"Well, yes, in a sense."

"In a sense?" Lori asked, bemused.

"Honey, we don't have the luxury of shopping for a surgeon." Rick told her gently.

"No, I understand that. But, I mean, you're a doctor, right?" She asked Hershel.

"Yes, ma'am. Of course. A vet"

Lori perked up. "A veteran. A combat medic?"

Hershel gave her a look, and said, in a bland tone of voice "A veterinarian."

Both parents of the boy blanched.

"A-and you've done this… _surgery_ before on what? Cows, pigs?" Lori asked in disbelief.

"I- I have- I have to sit." Rick collapsed into a chair.

"W-what, uh, what about Nye? She's-"

"A delivery nurse mostly, she told me, meaning she dealt mostly with helping deliver babies." He cut her off.

Lori sat down beside Rick, shaking her head and staring at Hershel damningly. "Completely in over your head, aren't you?"

"Ma'am, aren't we all?" He said grimly.

…

"I won't do it. We can't just leave."

"Carol, the group is split. We're scattered and weak." Dale argued.

"What if she comes back and we're not here? It could happen." She argued right back.

"What if Soph found her way back, and we were just _gone?_ It would be a shit parade for everyone." Mason added, making Toby glare at him slightly for using the term 'Shit parade' in this situation. Though, in his defense, he picked it up from Nye.

Andrea paid the two no mind. "If Sophia found her way back and we were gone, that would be awful."

Her version seemed to get through to them, and both boys glared at her as a result.

Daryl nodded. "Okay. We gotta plan for this. I say tomorrow mornin' is soon enough to pull up stakes. Give us a chance to rig a big sign, leave her some supplies. I'll hold here tonight, stay with the RV."

"If the RV is staying, I am too." Dale said.

"Ohhh, we wanna stay too!" Mason yelled, pulling Toby into a chokehold for no apparent reason.

"Thank you. Thank you both." Carol said to Dale and Daryl hoarsely.

Andrea shrugged and raised her hand. "I'm in."

"Well, if you're all staying then I'm-" Glenn started, but got cut off by Dale.

"Not you, Glenn. You're going, take Carol's cherokee."

"Me? Why is it always me?" Glenn asked in anger.

"You have to find this farm, reconnect with our people and see what's going on. But most important, you have to get T-Dog there. This is not an option." Dale told him. "That cut has gone from _bad_ to worse. He has a very serious blood infection." As Dale said this, an idea hit Daryl, and he quickly went over to the motorcycle. "Get him to that farm. See if they have any antibiotics. Because if not, T-Dog will die, no joke." Dale finished.

Daryl grabbed a rag off the motorcycle, glaring at Dale, and pulled out a big bag of pill bottles and some less legal drugs.

"Keep your oily rags off my brother's motorcycle." He said to Dale and tossed the rag back at him. "Why'd you wait till now to say anythin'? Got my brother's stash." He said, as if it were no big deal, and started going through it. "Crystal. X- Don't need _that_. Got some kick ass painkillers." He tossed those to Glenn and finally found what he was looking for. "Doxycycline." Which he tossed to the stunned Dale. "Not the generic stuff neither. It's first class. Merle got the clap on occasion."

He walked off, and no one knew what to say, well, except Mason of course.

"What's 'the clap'?"

All of the adults simultaneously tensed.

…

Nye's leg jumped up over and over as she watched Hershel check Carl's blood pressure again.

"Pressure's dropping again. We can't wait much longer." Hershel told them, and Nye deflated.

Rick held out his arm. "Take some more, whatever he needs. Then I'm gonna go."

"Go? Go where?" Lori asked him.

"He said five miles, they should be back by now. Something's gone wrong."

"Are you insane? You're not going after them." Lori said forcefully.

"Rick, listen to your wife." Hershel said from the ground beside the bed.

"Yeah Rick, just-" Nye started, but he interrupted her.

"If they got into trouble-" He tried again

"You're in no condition to do anything about it, you've given too much blood." Hershel cut him off. "You're barely on your feet. You wouldn't make it across the yard."

"If something happened, I have to go." He wouldn't give up, and Lori was done.

"No! Your place is here. If Shane said he'll be back, he'll be back. He's like you that way."

"I can't just sit here-"

"That's exactly what you do!" She snapped. "If you need to pray or cry or tell God he's cruel you go right ahead, but you're not leaving, Rick. Carl needs you _here._ " She shook her head, and finished softly. "And I can't do this by myself. Not this one… I can't."

Nye looked away, feeling like an intruder on their argument. She shakily got up and made her way outside the room, going completely unnoticed by the two.

She just made it out of the room, when a voice startled her.

"Care to shower?"

Nye jumped hard enough to make herself dizzy, something the owner of the voice noticed.

"Oh sorry 'bout that." Maggie said and put a hand on Nye's arm, trying to steady her, and not noticing the way she tensed at the feel of a hand on her arm.

"W-what was the question?" Nye asked timidly.

"Do you wanna shower?" She asked again kindly.

Nye nearly choked on air, and quickly nodded, wanting to wash away the whole day.

Scratch that. The whole _week._

Maggie nodded and went to get some of Beth's clothes for her to borrow, showing her to the bathroom afterwards.

"Okay, if you need anythin' just holler." And with that,, Maggie shut the bathroom door, leaving Nye to stand there, almost unsure of what to do.

She slowly started the water, and just about cried in relief when it was hot. She started carefully undressing, taking off her goggles for the first time in what felt like forever, and trying to avoid looking in the mirror, but that was futile.

Staring back at her in the reflection, was a battered and tired looking woman, one who bore a couple tattoos (A cluster of gears about the size of her palm under her left breast, and a holly flower on her right thigh.)

But she wasn't staring at the tattoos. She was staring at the multitude of scars on her right arm.

Starting at her elbow were long scars going down her arm, looking as if she had tried tearing the skin from her own arm several times in the past, and there were also a few faint burn scars to accompany them. But what was most concerning was the jagged scar going all around her right wrist.

She swallowed thickly at the sight of it, remembering all the times _he_ had handcuffed her to a pipe on the heater, thinking about it now, she could _still_ feel the heater burning her skin. Hours were spent in that house with her trying to escape the cuffs, only to tear her own skin apart in the effort.

She was snapped out of it when she could no longer see her reflection, the mirror fogged by the shower. She quickly shook her head of those thoughts and jumped in the stream of water, nearly moaning at the feel of it on her dirty and sun bruised skin.

She looked through the soaps and the shelves and smiled brightly when she saw the brand and smell body wash she used. _What are the odds?_ Reaching for the 'Peaches and Daisies' body wash, her mind wandered to her boys, hoping Toby wasn't panicking _too_ bad that she left her inhaler, and that Mason was behaving.

As she scrubbed her hair, she wondered why this felt so much more calming than taking a shower at the CDC, it was all the same, wasn't it? Soap and water, that's it.

But, as she looked around the bathroom, she knew what it was. This place is a home, while the CDC was a building. The CDC had dorms, not bedrooms, and all the soap in the bathrooms didn't have any fruity or floral smells, they were simply for getting clean. This place actually felt lived in, as a home should feel.

And that was what made it different. The Greene home was just that, a _home._ And Nye wondered if she would ever get to have that with Mason and Toby again.

After her shower she made her way down the stairs, tugging the sleeve of her shirt (Thank _god_ Beth likes sweaters) further down her arms, basically covering her hands all the way down to her finger tips. As she got closer to the room Carl was in, she started to hear the conversation going on between Rick and Lori.

"…The Principal's car right out of the teacher's lot in the middle of a school day. Shane steps out of lunch and makes a beeline to Kingsley's Hyundai" Rick chuckled. "Wires the ignition, peels out, drives down Dylan Drive to that chicken farm out there. You've heard this before, right? So he pulls it into one of the big holding pens. Kingsley, he waxed that thing every month; had the auto shop vacuum it out every week. Shane, he parks it in this huge pen with a couple of hundred Rhode Island reds. He busts open bags of seed in the back seat, rolls down all the windows, and then starts sprinting back to school. It's three miles away easy… He's back in time to finish his sandwich before the bell. And then the bell rings. Shane gets up and when he runs into Kingsley in the hallway, he looks out the window and says "Principal Kingsley, your coupe's gone."" Rick chuckled again. And so did Nye in the hallway. "Coupe, like chicken coop."

"I get it." Lori responded, with a smile in her voice.

Nye slid down the wall, deciding they didn't need her at this point in time, but resolved herself to wait outside the room for when they did.

…

Mason and Toby shared a look of discomfort at Carol's sobs. Neither of them could sleep in the first place, too worried about the others.

They both looked up when hearing Daryl getting up over Andrea taking apart her gun for what felt like the dozenth time. They exchanged a quick look and each got up from their spots on the driver and passenger seats.

He grabbed his crossbow, slinging it over his shoulder, and turned to Andrea.

"I need my clip now."

Andrea stayed silent and handed him his clip.

"I'm gonna walk the road, look for the girl." He explained, and both boys were immediately on board. And it seemed Andrea was too, as she followed him out, tailed by both boys.

"I'm coming too." She told him, and he nodded in return.

"We're coming-" Mason tried, but was cut off.

"Nah. No way in hell, I made a promise to yer mom that nothin' would happen to ya. So stay in the RV." Daryl argued.

Mason swelled in indignation, while Toby sagged in defeat.

"He's right. Why don't you two get back inside and sleep." Dale said from the roof.

They were both smart enough to not argue, and angrily trudged their way back inside, dragging their feet, and in Mason's case, swearing under their breath.

…

"Nye."

She looked up from the floor, staring at Maggie in question.

"There's a car." Maggie told her, worry in her voice.

Both made their way to the porch, watching the yellow car get closer, and Nye was disappointed to see it wasn't Otis's truck.

She sagged slightly when she saw it was only Glenn and T-Dog get out, and she was quick to note that T-Dog looked like shit on a stick.

They both got to the stairs to the porch and hesitated.

"So do we ring the bell? I mean it looks like people live here." Glenn asked, not noticing Nye and Maggie on the porch.

"We're past this kind of stuff, aren't we? Having to be considerate." T-dog said tiredly.

"Did you close the gate up the road when you drove in?" Maggie asked suddenly, making both men jump.

Glenn looked between her and Nye, clearly wondering who he should talk to first.

His very close friend who recently witnessed a child be shot… Or the hot farmer's daughter.

He chose wisely.

"Uh, hi. Yes, we closed it. Did the latch and everything." Glenn stuttered, staring at Maggie like she was a goddess.

And Nye had to agree. She totally was.

"Hello. Nice to see you again. We met before briefly." Glenn continued, clearly smitten with her, and Nye found it hilarious.

"Look, we came to help. There anything we can do?" T-Dog cut in, coughing under his breath.

Maggie looked at him in worry, eyes looking down at the bandage on his arm.

"It's not a bite. I cut myself pretty bad though." He quickly explained.

Nye got off her sitting position against the railing and nodded along. "Yep, broken car door."

Maggie nodded. "We'll have it looked at. I'll tell them you're here."

Glenn suddenly pulled out a bag of pills, causing Nye's eyes to blow wide. _When'd the holy_ _ **fuck**_ _did we get those!?_

"We have some painkillers and antibiotics. I already gave him some… If Carl needs any…" He said softly, and after the day she had, the obvious worry for Carl on his face and in his voice made Nye almost break down.

What the _hell_ did they do to deserve Glenn?

Maggie opened the door. "Come on inside. I'll make you something to eat."

But first, Glenn and T-Dog wanted to see Carl.

They made their way through the house, and when they all got to the room you could cut the tension with a knife, as both men looked at everyone silently sitting in the room.

But they looked at Carl most of all.

Glenn was the first to break the silence. "Hey…"

"Hey." Rick rasped back.

Glenn nodded and swallowed thickly. "Um, we're here, okay?"

Nye really did tear up this time.

"Thank you."

"Whatever you need." T-Dog added, and Rick simply nodded this time, too tired for anything more.

Both men left, but Nye stayed and leaned against the wall, blinking sluggishly. _When was the last time I slept?_

She was brought out of it by Hershel's voice. "They don't get back soon, we're gonna have a decision to make."

"And that is?" Rick asked in a whisper.

"Whether to operate on your boy without the respirator."

Nye hung her head, not knowing what even _she_ would do in their shoes.

"You said that wouldn't work." Lori thickly.

"I know. It's extremely unlikely. But we can't wait much longer."

Lori got up, and ran out of the room. Rick slowly, and shakily got up and followed her.

Nye, who was ready to eat a horse (Which there were plenty of on the farm) went down to the kitchen/dinning room where she could hear T-Dog, Glenn and Maggie quietly talking.

And after everything she'd been through in the span of twenty four hours, the sight of Glenn literally _stuffing_ his face with a PB&J sandwich made her double over and _laugh._

It wasn't a pretty one either, it was the one she always tried to force down if she was with anyone other than Mason and Toby, it was the loud one full of snorts.

But she didn't care about it at the moment. All she _did_ care about was the bewildered look on Glenn's face that only made her laugh harder. And she slowly realized, she wasn't just laughing, but crying.

But that's when she heard it. Carl coughing.

She was stone faced and up the stairs in seconds.

Nye panted, crouching at the foot of the bed and stared at Carl with a one hundred watt smile.

"Where are we?" Carl asked hoarsely, eyes darting around the room.

Lori started to pet his hair, and Rick leaned over and gave him a reassuring smile. "Hey, little man. That's Hershel. We're in his house… You had an accident. All right?" He spoke slowly as not to scare him.

Carl nodded and then winced "It h-hurts, a lot."

Nye's heart broke.

"Oh baby, I know. I know." Lori whispered as Rick fought tears.

"You should have seen it." Carl whispered to his mother.

"What?" She asked in return.

"The deer. It was so pretty, mom. It was so close. I've never been…"

Nye body drained of all warmth as Carl's face when slack.

 _No… No no no nononono-_

"Carl?" Rick asked shakily.

He started moving, but…

Rick and Lori watched in horror as Carl started seizing.

They reached to hold him down, but Nye and Hershel spoke at the same time.

"Stop!" She yelled

"Don't. It's a seizure. If you hold him down, you could hurt him." Hershel warned them.

"You can't stop it?" Lori asked viciously.

"He has to just go through it." He explained.

Lori turned and sobbed into Rick's chest, the man looking no better than his wife.

Suddenly, Carl stopped moving, and Hershel checked his pulse and eyes.

"His brain isn't getting enough blood. His pressure is bottoming. He needs another transfusion."

"Okay, I'm ready." Rick said, determined.

Hershel shook his head. "If I take any more out of you your body could shut down. You could go into a coma. Or cardiac arrest."

"Take it from me."

All eyes turned to Nye.

"You've already taken some, so we know he won't react badly to my blood." She rolled up her sleeve, holding out her left arm. "Take as much as he needs, hell, take more than that. Whatever it takes to keep him _alive._ "

Rick stared at her in complete respect and thankfulness. While Lori stared at her like she'd never seen her before.

…

 _A door was swung open, hitting the wall beside it hard enough to leave a mark._

 _Nye cowered._

" _Where the hell are you!" His voice boomed through the house, and Nye was sure that if they had any pictures anywhere they would have fallen over from the force of it._

 _It didn't take him long to find her, after all, it wasn't like she had many spots left after so long trying to hide from him._

 _He knew them all by now._

 _She let out a blood curdling scream as he grabbed her by the hair and pulled her out from under the table. The smell of whiskey in his breath made her gag, as she thrashed in his grip and cried, hoping more than anything that her mom would come through the door and save her._

 _But it never happened. Her mom was gone, had been from the beginning_

 _Just then, she heard the familiar sound of chains clinking._

 _She went solid, knowing it would only get worse if she fought._

 _But as he took her to the heater, her self preservation kicked in, and she was thrashing once again._

 _He was a six foot three grown man, and she was a tiny eight year old. Meaning, he over powered her easily._

 _He clicked the cuff around her right wrist, the one he always did, and as he locked the other one around a pipe on the heater, the metal 'click' was like a shot right through her heart, echoing in her mind and damning her to another panic attack. Before leaving, he turned the heater on, glaring at her hatefully._

 _As she panted for breath, tears running down her face, trying in vain to get away from the growing heat, he shut and locked the door, shrouding her in darkness._

 _What did she do to cause this?_

 _She talked to the neighbor's kid._

…

"Someone needs to wake her."

She faintly heard voices coming in, and as she tried to open her eyes she found strong resistance.

 _When did… when'd I fall asleep…?_

She felt a hand be put gently on her shoulder. "Nye… Nye, you gotta wake up."

She tried harder to open her eyes, and actually succeeded that time. She blurrily looked around at everyone, and thanked god she was a silent sleeper during nightmares.

"He's still losing blood faster than we can replace it. And with the swelling in his abdomen we can't wait any longer or he's just going to slip away." Hershel told them, point blank.

She slowly sat up, happy the act didn't make her head swim much.

"Now I need to know right now if you want me to do this, because I think your boy is out of time… You have to make a choice."

"A choice?" Lori asked viciously.

"A choice." Rick nodded, turning to Lori. "You have to tell me what it is… You have to tell me what it is." He whispered.

Lori put a hand up to Rick's face, staring at him like they were silently communicating. "We do it." She whispered, eyes not leaving Rick's.

He nodded, pulling her into a hug.

Nye took a deep breath, steeling herself for the horror they were about to see.

Hershel and Patricia rolled in a metal table, and Hershel immediately starting giving orders.

"Okay, get the corner of that bed. Let's get the sheets down. Get the IV bag on the sheet." They all grabbed a part of the sheet Carl was laying on. "Okay, on three. One, two, _three_." They all lifted him onto the table, Nye's knees almost buckling from the exhaustion of it all hitting her at once.

Patricia pulled out a pan with medical tools laying inside and a lamp for lighting.

Nye slowly put her gloves on as Hershel addressed the two parents. "Rick, Lori, you may want to step out."

They looked hesitant, and rightfully so, as Nye would have to be dragged out while kicking and screaming to leave Ace or Smalls' side.

They all froze however, when they heard a truck approaching.

Rick whispered "Oh God."

Nye wasn't sure when it happened, but she could feel the tears of relief running down her face.

"You stay here with him." Hershel ordered Nye and Patricia, and quickly followed Rick and Lori.

But Nye had to see for herself, so she ran down after them.

The cool air on her skin felt like heaven as she ran out the door. She took in the scene before her, and her mood was quickly stomped down when she saw Otis wasn't there.

It was clear Hershel noticed the same thing. "Otis?"

Shane shook his head. "No." He said so softly Nye almost missed it.

Hershel looked devastated, but still held his head. "We say nothing to Patricia. Not till after. I need her."

Shane turned to Rick. "They kept blocking us man… A-at every turn. We had nothing left. We were down to ten rounds. Then he said-he said he'd cover me a-and that I should keep going. So that's what I _did_. I just… I kept going. But I-I looked back and he-" He choked up. " _I tried_." He said desperately.

Rick put his hand on his shoulder. "He wanted to make it right."

Nye carefully put a hand on Maggie's left shoulder, rubbing soothing circles into it.

…

Both boys were jolted awake as Carol swung the door open, crying as she went and lied back down.

With just one look between the two, they both silently agreed that Daryl and Andrea must have come back empty handed.

As the door opened again, they looked to see Daryl coming in, he looked tired and temporarily defeated, so when he made eye contact with them, they both gave him silent waves.

But Mason looked between the crying Carol and the guilty Daryl, and felt the need to say something. "You'll find her."

It was nothing more than a whisper, but the confidence in his voice made something flicker on in Daryl's eyes.

He was starting to get why she liked those boys so much.


	7. Rainbow sprinkles

**I'm on cloud nine right now.**

 **Why? Because Teen Titans is getting a season six!**

 **Gah! I'm just so happy :D Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

It was one of the most beautiful mornings she'd seen in a long time. The sunlight wasn't smoldering, the bugs and birds weren't up and being insanely noisy yet, the air felt slightly damp and smelled fresh, and the grass glittered from the morning dew.

She twirled a loose strand of string from her shorts around her fingers absentmindedly, watching the dirt road in front of her intently. Everything went smoothly the night before, and now Carl was expected to make a full recovery. But, that left them with their first problem.

Sophia.

Thoughts of how she was doing out there all on her own ran wild in her mind, and she found herself looking in the distance, and over to Glenn and T-Dog helping the Greene family set up a grave site for Otis, even though they didn't have his body.

She shuddered at the thought of how it probably looked now, images of Ed and others from camp came to mind, and how they found their mangled remains.

And then, the unwelcomed thought about that happening to Sophia came.

She shook that thought away, and stood up from the chair on the porch suddenly, when she could have sworn she heard…

 _Yep, Dixon._

The caravan being led by the redneck on the noisiest motorcycle she ever heard.

She ran down to open the fence for them, which honestly was _not_ a good idea with how much blood she gave. But after getting some food and sleeping for the longest she had in weeks, she felt almost back to full strength.

She opened the gate, waving sarcastically at Daryl and peering through the windows of the passing cars for Mason and Toby.

She grinned when she spotted them in the backseats of Pumpkin, but the grin dimmed slightly when she saw it was Andrea driving her. She did _not_ like when other people drove her baby.

As everyone parked in front of the house, Mason and Toby didn't even wait for the van to come to a complete stop to jump out and dash to Nye.

She slowed her pace back to the house from the fence, and opened her arms wide, once again taking the force of their combined tackle.

They immediately bombarded her with _everything._

"We were in the woods, staying with the group, like you said-"

"Then this chick showed up and beat the shit out of this walker on Andrea and took Lori-"

"Then we went back to the highway, and after dark Daryl and Andrea went and looked for Sophia-"

"Daryl didn't let us come help! He just-"

"Said he promised to keep us safe, so we couldn't go, but then-"

"Guys!"

Both boys stopped talking after her shout, taking the much needed breath between their nonstop chatter.

Nye smiled lightly. "I get the gist. Are you okay?"

They both nodded, but Mason eagerly started up again.

"Yeah, Daryl kept us safe."

Nye wasn't sure what to say to that, so she simply nodded. Taking their hands, she lead them up to the house, where by this point, everyone was making their way to.

And when she caught Daryl's eye, she mouthed a quick 'Thanks'.

He nodded in return.

Rick, Lori and the others came out of the house, and Dale was the first to ask.

"How is he?"

"He'll pull through, thanks to Hershel and his people, Nye too." Lori answered, voice wobbling.

Toby elbowed her in the side, and she ruffled his hair in response.

"And Shane. We'd have lost Carl if not for him." Rick finished.

"The hell happened to Shane?" Mason whispered to Nye.

She grimaced, and looked over at the almost jumpy looking man, not having any idea of what happened herself. Hell, he made her nearly have a heart attack, walking out of the bathroom the night before. He only shaved his head, and still managed to look like a total stranger.

Dale came forward and silently hugged Rick, while Carol went to Lori and hugged her. "Thank God. We were so worried."

"How'd it happen?" Dale asked in concern.

"Hunting accident. That's all Just a stupid accident." Rick answered.

Patricia leaned and tearily whispered something in Hershel's ear, he nodded and turned to the group.

"We're havin' a ceremony for Otis. If you all would join us."

Nye sighed, once again feeling bad for the man the family lost.

The group all agreed, feeling they owed the Greene's at least that much. Hershel went and put on a suit and grabbed a bible, and just like that, they were quickly over by the grave site the Greene's set up, standing in a circle around it.

The boys, to her surprise, ran over and stood to the right of Daryl, causing the two adults to share a bewildered look. Nevertheless, she took the spot next to them, standing with her boys between Daryl and Glenn. She decided to follow Dale and Glenn's example, and took off her goggles. And after getting weirded out looks from Daryl and Glenn, she realized this was probably the first time the group had seen her without them on. It made sense to look surprised she supposed, just like how when you meet someone with glasses, and after knowing them for awhile, you see them without them on, and it just doesn't look right.

"Blessed be God, father of our lord Jesus Christ." Hershel started, and Beth put a rock in the pile they made for Otis. "Praise be to him for the gift of our brother Otis." Now Jimmy put one down. "for his span of years, for his abundance of character; Otis, who gave his life to save a child's, now more than ever, our most precious asset. We thank you, God, for the peace he enjoys in your embrace. He died as he lived, in Grace."

It was beautiful. Nye just wished it were real.

But she lost faith in God a long time ago… But, then again…

She squeezed Mason and Toby's shoulders, and pulled them closer.

"Shane, will you speak for Otis?" Hershel asked, and Shane seemed to snap out of some daze.

"I-I'm not good at it… I'm sorry…" It was spoken so softly Nye almost couldn't hear it.

"You were the last one with him." Patricia spoke, choked up with tears. "You shared his final moments. Please. I need to hear. I need to know his death had meaning." She finished thickly.

Shane nodded jerkily. "Okay." He breathed, and raised his head. "We were about done… Almost out of ammo. We were down to pistols by then. I was limping. It was bad. Ankle all swollen up. "We've got to save the boy." See, that's what he said. He gave me his backpack. He shoved me ahead. "Run," He said, "I'll take the rear. I'll cover you." And when I looked back…" He paused, and started limping to the rock pile. "If not for Otis, I'd have never made it out alive. And that goes for Carl too. It was Otis. He saved us both." He looked up, locking eyes with Patricia. 'If any death ever had meaning, it was _his_." He put a rock in the pile.

…

Nye took a deep breath of air, not because she needed it, but because it was so fresh, and smelled _great,_ almost like the fragrance isle in a supermarket threw up… In a good way.

She forgot how beautiful mornings can be. After the funeral for Otis, everyone went their separate ways, and Nye was currently sitting on the porch, enjoying the feeling of the fresh air and sun on her face, until…

"Hey."

 _Damnit Dixon._

She lazily opened her eyes, and simply raised a brow at him.

He, in return, threw something to her.

She jumped and (To her embarrassment) squeaked in surprise, hand instinctively snatching the thing out of the air before it hit her in the face.

"The hell dude?" She asked angrily, flushed from embarrassment.

He merely nodded to the thing in her hand and said "Kid asked for me to get it to ya."

She furrowed her brows, looking down at the item. Upon seeing what it was, she let out a puzzled noise.

"Why'd he want _you_ to give me my inhaler, and not do it himself?"

He shrugged, honestly having no idea as well.

All he knew was the two kids jumped him, throwing the inhaler to him, and darting off right after, Toby shouting "Give this to her, kay thanks bye!" over his shoulder.

She raised her brow skeptically, but dropped it quickly, seeing no reason for him to lie about it.

Besides, her kids did weird things all the time, she was used to it by this point.

"Thanks Dixon." She muttered.

Mason and Toby, who were hiding behind a tree nearby, fist bumped upon hearing that.

What the two adults didn't know, was that this was the boy's first step in making Nye and Daryl friends.

…

"How long has this girl been lost?" Hershel asked.

Nye, Daryl, Rick, Shane, Andrea and Hershel stood around the hood of Carol's car, planning for the search for Sophia.

"This'll be day three." Rick answered him.

Maggie walked up, carrying something paper. "County survey map." She rolled it out over the hood, and they used rocks as paper weights. "Shows terrain and elevations."

"This is perfect. We can finally get this thing organized. We'll grid the whole area, start searching in teams." Rick said.

"Not you. Not today. You and her gave four units of blood. You wouldn't be hiking five minutes in this heat before passing out." He said to Rick and Nye before turning to Shane. "And your ankle. Push it now, you'll be laid up a month, no good to anybody."

"Guess it's just me." Daryl said, not seeming too worried.

But Nye shook her head. "Nope, I'm fine, I can go too."

Hershel opened his mouth to argue, but Nye cut him off.

"I'm fine Doc, I've been drinking juice and napping all day. I'm telling you, I'm good to go."

Clearly seeing she wouldn't back off of this, he relented.

Daryl looked between the two, waiting a moment to see if he would try again to stop her, but it seemed he gave up.

"So, what's the plan?" Nye asked Daryl, clearly putting effort into giving him a chance after everything he'd done for her and her boys through out the past few days.

He looked down and scanned the map, and pointed to a part of it. "We're gonna head back to the creek, work our way from there."

"I can still be useful. I'll drive up to the interstate, see if Sophia wandered back." Shane added.

"All right, tomorrow then. We'll start doing this right." Rick said determinedly.

"That means we can't have our people out there with just knives. They need the gun training we've been promising them." Shane replied.

"I'd prefer you not carrying guns on my property. We've managed so far without turning this into an armed camp." Hershel told them.

"All due respect," Shane started, not sounding respectful at all. "you get a crowd of those things wandering in here…"

"Look, we're guests here." Rick interrupted. "This is your property," He said to Hershel, and then looked at Shane pointedly. "and we _will_ respect that." And with that, he put his gun down on the hood of the car.

Shane rolled his eyes aggressively, but put down his gun as well.

Nye sighed through her nose, and grudgingly put down her pistol. _Least I got the monkey wrench._

"First things, first.. Set camp, find Sophia." Rick declared.

Shane bit his lip. "I hate to be the one to ask, but somebody's got to. What happens if we find her and she's bit?"

Nye's jaw dropped, and she gave him her best glare, the one that up until this point was reserved for Daryl when he did something exceptionally stupid in her opinion, and pissed her off in the process.

"Fuck you, Shane." She whispered, and either no one heard her, or she was being ignored.

He continued his sentence. "I think we should all be clear on how we handle that."

Rick was silent for a few seconds, but when he answered, it made Nye's stomach roll. "You do what has to be done."

 _Yeah Rick? And what if it were Carl?_

"And her mother? What do you tell her?" Maggie asked in disbelief.

"The truth." Andrea told the other woman, and Nye scoffed.

"I'll gather and secure all the weapons. Make sure no one's carrying till we're at a practice range off site." Shane told Hershel. "I do request one rifleman on lookout. Dale's got experience."

When Hershel stayed silent, Rick spoke up. "Our people would feel safer, less inclined to carry a gun."

Hershel slowly nodded, still not looking too keen on the idea.

"Thank you."

Daryl tapped Nye's arm, and when she looked at him in question he merely nodded to the woods. She nodded back, but quickly muttered "One sec." and jogged over to Mason and Toby, who were trying to climb one of the trees.

"Hey!"

Both jumped and glared at her as a result.

She snorted at their reaction, and quickly explained the situation. "Dixon and I are heading out to look for Soph, I want you to stay with Dale while I'm gone. Okay?"

Instead of arguing that they wanted to go with them to search, both boys surprisingly smiled agreeingly, and shared a secretive glance after.

"Yeah, no problem, stay safe." Toby said, grinning like he did whenever he got away with something.

Nye furrowed her brows, staring the two down, but it was clear whatever they were up to wasn't something she was going to be informed on.

With a resigned sigh and faint shrug, she made an 'I'm watching you' gesture and turned to follow after where Daryl wandered off to.

…

"Daryl, Nye." Rick yelled from beside one of the many trees on the land.

Both of them looked up from their walk to the woods, and stared at Rick in question.

"You okay on your own?" He asked, walking closer to them.

"I'm better on my own." Daryl replied, staring at Nye pointedly.

She stuck her tongue out at him in return.

"We'll be back before dark." Daryl said as they kept walking.

"Hey. We got a base. We can get this search properly organized now." Rick continued, still coming closer.

Daryl stopped and turned to him. "You got a point or are we just chatting?"

"My point is it lets you off the hook. You don't owe us anything."

Daryl bit his lip, before turning back and continued walking. "My other plans fell through."

 _Well that doesn't sound fishy at all._

Nye waited a second before following, giving a 'What can you do' shrug to Rick.

It didn't take them long to be in the thick of the foliage, and it didn't take long for Nye to try and drive Daryl crazy, (But not _too_ crazy, they did need to find Sophia after all) out of boredom. So far she had pulled out all the stops (Meaning 'Eye spy' over and _over_ ) and was surprised it hadn't worked.

She contented herself to finally be quiet, when _he_ spoke up for the first time on their trip.

"You really think we'll find her, or are you like the others?"

 _Oh hell no._

She froze, and it took him a second to see she wasn't keeping pace. When he turned around, he was met with a fierce glare.

"Let me put it this way, _Dixon._ " She said viciously while marching up to him. "If Carl hadn't been shot, you wouldn't have been able to tear me out of these woods to stop searching." She was only a foot away now, trying her best to stare him down, which considering she was a whole head shorter then him, was rather difficult. "Sophia's older than Mason and Toby, and I know if it were one of them out here, they would be _fine._ " She stepped back and scoffed. "I mean, this is _Georgia,_ not Arkham Asylum or some shit."

Something in his expression shifted at that, but she was already continuing on. She stopped, however, only after walking a few yards.

"Dixon." She called, not taking her eyes off of something in the distance.

He looked, following her line of sight.

A house. An old dilapidated house.

One she could be hiding in.

Without a word, they both started making their way to it. And when they got to the door, before Nye could even suggest picking the lock if need be, Daryl kicked the door down.

"Seriously?" She whispered, giving him a severely unimpressed look, and she started wondering if he got off on kicking doors down.

He ignored her, taking the lead and slowly going around corners of the house with his crossbow raised and ready.

She took a few steps in and cringed when the floorboards creaked loudly. As he scoped the house for walkers, or preferably Sophia, she followed after him.

When they entered what looked like an old kitchen, that she noted smelled like roadkill, Daryl spotted something in the trashcan, which she was sure was the cause of the smell.

"Oh god, what are you _doing?_ " She asked in disgust as he pulled something out of it.

Her question was answered when he picked up a recently opened can of tuna.

Her jaw dropped and her heart started beating rapidly when she saw it, sharing hopeful looks with Daryl even. The thought that they might be able to bring Sophia back to her mom by tonight made her beyond excited.

Both of them quickly noticed the cupboard, the cupboard big enough to house a child. And after exchanging a quick look, Nye crept closer to it, gently wrapping her fingers around the door handle.

She waited for confirmation, and when Daryl gave a nod, she swung it open.

They both deflated slightly when they were only met with shelves of old food. But when she saw him staring down at the bottom, she followed his gaze.

A pillow and blanket sat innocently in the bottom of the cupboard, the space there was just big enough for a child Sophia's size.

Without warning Daryl ran outside the house, causing Nye to roll her eyes.

"C'mon Dixon, a little communication would be nice." She muttered.

"Sophia!" He yelled out into the woods, and if it were any other time, she would have hit him upside the head for potentially attracting walkers.

He walked further out through the thick, uncut grass. "Sophia!"

Nye thought _Why the hell not_ and joined him. "Sophia!"

They walked around the house, searching for any signs of her, but Nye stopped when Daryl crouched down near some random bush.

She jogged over. "You find something?" She asked between huffs of breath.

He gestured to the white flowers growing in the bush. "Know what these are?" He asked, clearly knowing the answer, and wanting to see if she did.

She nodded, confused as to how this had to do with anything. "Uh, yeah. They're Cherokee roses, I think."

"You know the story 'bout them?"

She paused for a second, combing her mind for it.

And when she did, a wide grin took hold of her features as she remembered the old story she was once told in college by her friend named Paul.

"Dixon, cherish this,"

He looked up at her in confusion.

"You're a fucking genius."

She chose to ignore the unamused look on his face.

After he plucked one for Carol, they scoped the area one more time before leaving. And the more time she was given to think on it, the more something gnawed at her mind, there was question Nye needed answered.

"So why'd you stay?"

Daryl paused, looking at her in question.

"With Merle gone, and all this shit happening… You asked me if I think we'll find her, so I'm asking _you_ something _,_ why'd you stay?" She clarified and finished asking.

He chewed on his lip, looking at the greenery around them for a second.

"At first… I dunno, I just did." He slowly started.

"Then what?" She prompted.

He looked back at her, a determined gleam in his eyes. "Then Sophia went missin'. And we gotta find her." He finished strongly.

Nye wasn't sure what the right answer would be. Until he said it.

It didn't take them long to get back to the farm, even after all the stops to check if some spots on the ground were tracks from a walker, an animal, or hopefully, Sophia.

As soon as they got back, they went their separate ways.

Daryl searching for a bottle to put the Cherokee rose he planned to give Carol (Which Nye teased him mercilessly about on their way back) and Nye going to find Mason and Toby.

As soon as they spotted her from the bench swing, they waved her over eagerly.

"Hey, what did you two get up to while I was gone?" She asked in a mock stern voice, putting her hands on her hips.

They both laughed softly at her antics, and Toby leaned forward and grinned at her like the Cheshire Cat. "Nothing really. What did _you_ get up to?"

Nye blinked, wrong-footed, as Toby grinned smugly and Mason waggled his eyebrows.

"Well, uh, Pretty much nothing." She drew out the last word in confusion. And for some reason the two looked disappointed by that answer.

 _Probably hoping for news on Sophia._

She cleared her throat. "So, I miss anything?"

The two shared a look, one that spoke of nothing but the glee a child gets when they get to snitch on someone else.

Mason stared at her and casually said,

"Glenn was walker-bait."

…

"Glenn Rhee!"

The man in question jumped violently, and quickly spun around, staring at the raging woman coming at him, in fear.

"Nye? Wha-"

"What the holy _fuck_ were you thinking!?" She cut him off.

Glenn froze. "W-wait, how did you find out?" He demanded in a hushed voice.

Nye reeled back, bemused. "You seriously think I wouldn't get told?"

Glenn stared at her in shock. "I had no idea you and Maggie were that close already."

Now she was even more confused. "What? Mason and Toby told me-"

Glenn paled.

"-you were "Walker Bait". Please tell me they're joking." She said in a threatening tone, not noticing how he deflated in relief. "Because I know you're not _that_ stupid."

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Uh, yeaaaah. I kinda was."

Nye fumed silently for a second at the admittance.

"I thought you were talking about me having sex with Maggie…" He laughed nervously.

Nye's head snapped up. "Whoa whoa wait! You had _sex_ with _Maggie!?_ "

Glenn tried shushing her, but she wasn't having it.

She tipped her head back. "Damnit! How are you so _lucky?_ " She whined. "I mean, Southern Belle's are the _best!_ "

Glenn froze. "W-wait… Nye, a-are you…?"

She raised a questioning brow.

"You know… _Gay?_ " He finished, whispering the last word.

Nye snorted, shaking her head. "No, I'm not gay." She said between chuckles.

Glenn sagged slightly. "O-oh, cause I just thought…"

Nye shook her head, shaking from silent laughter as she turned and started walking away.

"Yeah, not gay. Just bi." She said behind her back, watching in amusement as it looked like Glenn's jaw might hit the ground as he stuttered incoherently.

By the time he was able to form actual words, she was several yards away, and what he yelled made her breakdown in laughter.

"A-and there's nothing wrong with that!"

…

She gently opened the door, and smiled cheerfully when she saw he was awake.

"Hey Chief."

Carl sat up slightly when she came in. "Hey Nye." He said as cheerfully as a bedridden kid can.

She walked further into the room, coming to a stop and sitting on the chair by his bedside. "I seem to recall making a deal with you."

Carl made a confused noise. "You did? When?"

Nye shifted in her seat, staring down at her hands. "When you were unconscious. I made a deal with you, that if you got better, then I'd tell you my name."

Carl sat up further. "Nye's not your name?"

She shook her head. "Nope, Nye's just a nickname."

He leaned forward eagerly, and tried to mask the wince it caused. "So then what _is_ your name?"

She grinned, and leaned over to whisper it in his ear.

Afterwards, he reeled back, staring at her in amusement. "Really?" He asked between giggles.

She nodded.

He sat back, seeming satisfied. "Why don't you tell everyone?"

She winced. "Well, it may have to do with the fact it's a batshit insane name. Seriously, have you ever met another person named _that_?"

Carl slowly shook his head. "No, but I think that's a good thing," He suddenly got sulky. "I mean, there was, like, _seventeen_ Carl's in my school."

Nye snorted, patting him on the shoulder lightly. "That must have been a nightmare." She leaned back, and gained a thoughtful look. "I guess its better than a name like Mary Sue or something," She laughed once more. "Mary Sue's are the _worst._ "

…

" _Miss Conner, I'm sorry to call you here like this, but I really had no choice."_

 _It was only eight months since Toby was placed in Nye's care, and she was already standing in the principal's office._

 _Nye stared at the portly middle aged man sitting behind his desk, before turning her stare on the two kids sitting in front of it._

 _At the man's apology, giving away her presence, Mason shot his head up to her still form in the doorway, while Toby hung his head further._

" _What happened?" She cut right to the chase._

" _Well, you see-" The principal tried._

" _Not you." She cut the man off, not taking her eyes away from the two kids._

 _Toby sank lower, not meeting her gaze, causing her to scowl in suspicion._

" _Well, Miss Conner, they've already told me everything, if you'd let me_ explain- _" The principal continued irritably._

" _Fine. Explain." She said, sounding bored._

 _The principal swelled in indignation. "They got into a fight with another student."_

 _Nye simply blinked for a second._

" _He deserved it." Mason muttered, earning a glare from the principal._

 _She took a deep breath, and the man smiled smugly, thinking she was about to chew them out._

 _He was wrong._

" _Did you do the right hook I taught you?" She asked Mason, almost sounding_ eager.

 _The principal sputtered as she gave the boy a thumbs up when he grinned and nodded._

" _Miss Conner!"_

 _She lazily lolled he head, looking at him in question._

" _You do not praise a child for starting a fight-"_

" _But I didn't start it!" Mason yelled._

 _Nye watched in worry as Toby seemed to sink further and further into his chair._

" _What_ did _start it?" She finally asked._

 _Mason, who had been ready to gloat about his fight seconds before, clammed up. And Nye didn't miss the way his eyes darted to Toby._

" _Mason started the violence." The principal told her._

 _She tipped her head back in an 'Ohhhh, I get it' fashion. "The violence… So what you're saying is, it was another kid who was mouthing off." It wasn't a question, and she could tell by the dark look on Mason's face, that she just hit the nail on the head_

 _Before the man could say anything, she tuned back to the boys. "What'd they call Toby." She asked, clearly knowing Toby had been the one being bullied, going off the two's behavior._

 _Said boy jumped, and the other looked between his foster brother and mother._

 _He took a deep breath, avoiding Toby's pleading gaze. "The F word…"_

 _Nye reeled back an inch._ Fucker? What a little shit, and it's not even that create-

 _Realization of what Mason really meant took hold, and she slowly looked at Toby, who was now trembling._

" _Toby…" She said his name in a searching sort of way, hoping he would deny what Mason was saying, deny a kid so young would go so_ _ **far.**_

 _But he only hung his head._

" _Well it doesn't matter what the kid sai-" The principal finally spoke up, but was once again foiled._

" _I'm taking them home. And they're not getting a single day of detention." Nye said, glowering at the man._

" _You don't have that kind of authority Miss Conner." He growled back._

 _She grinned, but it looked more like baring teeth. "No, but I can make claims of sexual assault."_

 _He paled, and both boys whipped their heads up and stared at her in shock. Toby finally willing to look at her._

" _Y-you wouldn't." He said, not sounding all that convinced himself. Especially with the manic gleam in her eyes, a gleam that promised pain if he didn't do as she said._

 _It seemed Miss Conner was a mama bear._

 _And he just threatened her cubs._

" _I'll throw in the fact you're being biased with punishing my kids, because you're homophobic. The press will go_ crazy. _" She finished confidently._

 _With that, she gently grabbed her boys wrists and dragged their shocked forms out of the office. It wasn't until they were getting into her van that one of them spoke._

" _That was awesome." Mason said in awe._

 _Nye gave a tight grin, that quickly fell away. She looked over her shoulder to Toby, who was still silent._

" _Dairy Queen, or Wendy's?"_

 _Both looked at her in confusion, but understanding found Mason, and he smiled happily._

 _Seeing Toby was still unsure of what she was talking about, she clarified. "For ice cream."_

 _Toby stared at her like she had grown a second head. "W-what?"_

 _Nye grinned, coming up with a good and subtle enough way to try and make him more at ease. "I vote Dairy Queen, the chick who runs the cashier is_ hot _as hell_. _"_

 _What she said didn't seem to sink in at first, but when it did, Toby stared at her like he expected her to yell 'Just kidding!' any second._

 _But she didn't, she just stared back through the rear view mirror._

 _And when they got Dairy Queen, Nye asked for rainbow sprinkles on all of their ice cream._

 _Mason laughed, Toby cried._

 _But they were all happy._

 _And that, was the first time Toby felt truly at home._

...

Her eyes flew open, blinking sluggishly for a few seconds, she sat up from her slumped position in their tent, yawning and stretching. She sighed and cracked her neck, carefully putting a book mark in her copy of Breaking Dawn sitting on her lap.

 _Damn, fell asleep reading this garbage again._

The only reason she was reading it in the first place was because Mason dared her to, back before the shit hit the fan, and she'd be damned to back out now.

 _I'm gonna get those damn Batman stickers he bet._

She looked back on the dream, or rather _memory,_ she had. It was probably brought about by Glenn's questioning and her talking about her sexuality, and while it was something she was still a little closed off about (no matter how confident she seemed on the outside) she always tried giving a good example to Toby.

The more confident she seemed, the easer it felt for him to tell people, and that made it worth it.

She looked over at the two sleeping forms on the other side of the tent, smiling softly upon seeing Toby snuggling his face into Button, and Mason cuddled up with Manny (Even though it now only covered about half of him)

Her goggles were set aside, and she slowly and quietly took off her belt and combat boots she fell asleep in.

And as she drifted back off, her last thoughts were of Sophia, and how she was determined to bring her home to Carol, no matter what, even if she had to break bones in the process.

What she didn't know, was that she just jinxed herself and Daryl.

* * *

 **Yeah, couldn't resist making Nye bi :)**


	8. Fair chance

_She tapped her fingers against the steering wheel to the beat of 'Under Pressure' coming softly out of the stereo. Craning her head around, she once again took in all of the cars and people surrounding them on the highway to Atlanta._

" _Nye, why aren't we moving?" Toby asked in concern._

 _Mason nodded along in question, as he stared at the cars all around them._

 _She released her tight grip on the steering wheel slightly, taking a breath to calm her own nerves and turned in her seat to address him and Mason both. "I don't know. Maybe-"_

 _Whatever she was going to say would forever be a mystery, as all three quickly looked out the windows when they heard what sounded like an explosion, followed by the sound of helicopters._

 _A quick and firm glance was given to the two boys, pinning them to their seats for fear of a stressed Nye coming down on their asses. The front door swung open and she jumped out. Her eyes locked on the three helicopters flying toward the city._

" _-They wouldn't."_

 _At the sound of the gruff voice she turned her head to the blue truck next to her van, the one it came from. And saw two men standing against it._

" _Hell yeah they would, baby brother." The guy next to the first one replied grimly._

 _She furrowed her brows in confusion at what they meant, and the grim looks on their faces as they stared at the helicopters flying over Atlanta._

 _That is, until the first bomb dropped._

 _Her hands flew up to her mouth, and her eyes became glassy as she watched bomb after bomb hit the city before them, the city that was supposed to be safe._

 _And as she stood there, stunned silent, she would remember how the night air chilled her nose, how the stars shined brightly despite the chaos going on under them, how the people around her started screaming and panicking, and how Mason and Toby watched her in fear through the window as she leaned against her van as tears ran down her face in silence, eyes locked on the burning city._

 _She would remember all of it, whenever she heard the song 'Under Pressure'._

…

Nye slowly made her way over to the car they apparently made their headquarters for planning Sophia's rescue. She lightly tugged on the overly long sleeves of her thin beige pullover. As she leaned over the hood of the car on her elbows, it took every bit of her strength to not make a joke about how Daryl was _actually_ wearing something he hadn't torn the sleeves off of.

"All right, everyone's getting new search grids today. If she made it as far as the farmhouse Daryl and Nye found, she might have gone further east than we've been so far." Rick told them as they were standing around the hood of one of the cars, the grid map laid flat on top of it.

Nye yawned, not rested as well as she might have hoped, but that's what always happens whenever she has memories play in her head instead of dreams.

"I'd like to help. I know the area pretty well and stuff." Jimmy walked up and told them.

"Hershel's okay with this?" Rick asked.

"Yeah, yeah. He said I should ask you" Jimmy replied.

Nye narrowed her eyes, she could spot a lying kid from a mile away.

 _And you sir, are lying._ She thought to herself in what she deemed a passible Sherlock Holmes impression.

But either Rick believed him, or he didn't care. "All right then. Thanks."

Shane chose to open his mouth, much to the ever growing annoyance of Nye. "Nothing about what Daryl found screams Sophia to me. Anyone could have been holed up in that farmhouse."

She scowled heavily at him when he refused to acknowledge that _she_ was the one who spotted the house.

"Anybody includes her, right?" Andrea defended.

"Whoever slept in that cupboard was no bigger than yay-high." Daryl added, holding his hand up to his middle.

"Someone Nye's size could fit in there too, then." Shane said snidely.

"Fuck you, Shane." She said through gritted teeth, and by the way he smirked in amusement, he obviously didn't take her seriously. In fact, it looked like he was heavily enjoying himself at her expense.

"Alright, that's enough." Rick said.

"It's a good lead." Andrea continued.

Nye smiled and nodded in greeting to Dale as he set the bag of guns down on the hood of the car, and he smiled right back.

"Maybe we'll pick up her trail again." Rick said.

"No maybe about it. I'm gonna borrow a horse, head up to this ridge right here, take a bird's-eye view of the whole grid. If she's up there, I'll spot her." Daryl told them his plan.

"Room on that horse for two?" Nye asked him politely.

She ignored the surprised looks she was given, but after Mason and Toby cornered her earlier that morning, she was trying to be at least civil.

" _What? Why the hell do you want me to try and be_ mature _with Dixon?" She asked in disbelief._

 _The two boys shared an exasperated glance._

" _For one, you're an adult, act like it." Toby said, bluntly._

" _And B, you'd like him if you got to know him, you're both actually a lot alike." Mason finished._

 _Nye stuck her tongue out. "Ew, don't say stuff like that, the day I'm anything like Dixon is the day I eat squirrel."_

 _They both silently glared at her until she caved._

" _Fine! I'll try to be…_ mature. _" She shuddered and both boys grinned._

Nye came out of it at the sound of T-Dog's voice. "Good idea. Maybe you'll see your chupacabra up there too." He said, teasing Daryl.

She held back a snort at the memory of what he was talking about.

 _Shit, this is gonna be_ _ **so**_ _much harder than I thought._

"Chupacabra?" Rick asked.

Dale, (Nye internally cheered) decided to join in on the teasing. "You never heard this? Our first night in camp, Daryl tells us that the whole thing reminds him of a time when he went squirrel hunting and he saw a chupacabra."

Jimmy chuckled, and Daryl scowled back at him. "What are you braying at, jackass?"

"You believe in a blood-sucking dog?" Jimmy asked right back, and Nye was _this_ close to breaking the deal and piggy backing on all of this.

 _Why is it the second I decide to try and be civil, everyone chooses today to be 'Mess with Dixon Day'?_

But Daryl was faster than she gave him credit for. "Do you believe dead people walking around?" He just as quickly sniped back.

Nye paused, and begrudgingly gave him a clap and a half. In her head that is, no way would she do it for real for everyone around to see.

Jimmy didn't have anything to say to that, so he instead reached for one of the shotguns.

"Hey, hey." Rick stopped him, taking the gun himself. "Ever fire one before?" He asked.

Jimmy looked around at them, clearly confused as to what the big deal was. "Well, if I'm going out, I want one."

Daryl shrugged his crossbow on. "Yeah, and people in hell want slurpees."

Nye couldn't fight off her snort at that.

"Why don't you come train tomorrow?" Shane asked Jimmy before he could leave. "If you're serious, I'm a certified instructor."

At Shane's obvious bragging, Nye rolled her eyes, making her hand and fingers into a gun shape and pretending to blow he brains out. Not noticing Daryl's shoulders shaking slightly with a silent chuckle at her display.

"For now he can come with us." Andrea said.

"He's yours to babysit then." Shane told her.

Nye and Daryl once again went separate ways before going to search, this time he was going to get a horse, but she was off to find her gremlins again.

When she found them, she froze and stared at them in bewilderment.

"What in the holy _fuck_ are you doing?" She asked in complete confusion.

Staring back at her from the ground were two boys, covered head to toe in dirt, and both gripping large clumps of it in their hands.

"Lookin' for worms." Mason said in a tone that implied _she_ was the one who needed to explain herself.

She narrowed her eyes at them. "What for?"

" **Fishing.** " She was answered by both, followed by Mason's "Duh."

She remained skeptical, but slowly nodded her head. "But what about all the worms I _just_ dug up, there's no way we went through all of those already."

They both paled, exchanging fearful glances.

Her jaw clicked, and she glared down at them. " _The hell happened to my worms?"_ She asked in a deathly quiet voice.

Mason ducked his head, while Toby gulped and answered. "Last time we went fishing… They sorta fell in the water."

They both fearfully watched her as she shut her eyes tightly and sighed through her nose.

"By the time we get back, this bucket better be full of worms. Got it?"

They both nodded. " **Yes ma'am.** "

Sometimes they forget how scary she is when she's in 'Mom Mode'

…

"That her?"

Daryl turned from his position in front of a brown and saddled horse to Nye as she walked into the stable.

He answered with a simple "Yep."

She grinned, walking closer to the beautiful animal, letting it sniff her hand.

"I'm gonna call you Buttercup." She said brightly, and out of nowhere.

Daryl gave her a bemused look. "Its probably got a name already."

She hummed, ignoring him and not taking her eyes off of "Buttercup".

"Mmmm… Nope! I'm calling her Buttercup."

He sighed, giving up on trying to talk sense into her.

After Daryl got on, he held a hand out to her to help her up, and once she was firmly on the saddle he lightly kicked the horse's sides to get her going.

Nye carefully placed her hands stiffly on his shoulders for support, and as they rode off to the woods, she could have sworn she saw Toby nudge Mason for his attention, nod in their direction, and then he and Mason both give them thumbs up.

…

"Do we even have to do anything at this point?"

"I don't know, but you know how Nye gets with grudges."

"Nah, I bet they'll come back as buds."

"That's pushing it Mason. Lets just hope they come back without Nye having ripped his head off."

…

The bolt left his crossbow in a blur, and she scowled at the sight of the furry monster he shot against a tree.

"Why." She simply asked/said.

He grabbed the dead squirrel from the tree, and shrugged. "You never know."

She pouted in return.

They continued down the path in silence, and as they got beside a hill with a lake at the bottom, they slowed down, looking at an object at the bottom in shock.

Staring back up at them from the lake, was a doll.

Nye's heart began racing.

Daryl got down and signaled for her to stay on the horse while he went down to get it. He reached down and picked up the water logged doll, after looking it over he quickly looking up to her and nodded, silently telling her it was indeed Sophia's doll. He called the girl's name a few times, both of them peering around and looking to see if they could spot her anywhere.

After waiting a bit longer with no response, he made it back up the hill and back to the horse. Nye didn't bother sticking her hand out to him, they both knew if she tried to pull him up it would only lead to him pulling her down from the size and weight difference.

They rode on a bit longer, and as they got up to the top of a hill much larger than the other, a small flock of birds flew up and startled the horse slightly.

After it calmed down they moved on. But they only made it a yard or two.

All Nye heard before she and Daryl were thrown off was the hiss of a snake, and a terrified whinny from the horse.

"Whoa whoa whoa!"

"Shit!"

As they tumbled down, all she could hear was the grunts from her and Daryl, the horse running away, and fabric tearing.

Before her head hit something hard and solid… And she blacked out.

…

" _Do I have to?" Toby meekly asked._

" _Sorry Smalls, you've gotta face your fears with this, don't give the bullies power." Nye told him, leaning over the front seat and patting him on the shoulder._

 _Toby tilted his head slightly. "Smalls?"_

 _Mason grinned. "Yep, like how I'm Ace."_

 _Toby nodded slowly in understanding, something shining brightly in his eyes at the new term of endearment._

 _He finally sighed and went to hop out of the van, Mason following his lead._

 _But Nye got an idea as she looked on at all the kids staring at them outside the van. The two boys had become pretty big targets after the F word incident, but she was about to try and help with that. She grinned and swiftly put in a cassette, turning the dial up all the way._

' _Generation' Started blaring out of the speakers she set up in every corner of Pumpkin. Both boys looked at her in shock and confusion, but she simply mouthed 'Go' to them. They followed her order, and as they hopped out, before they could shut the door she yelled over the blaring music._

" _I'll pick you up during lunch and we'll ditch and go to Josh's place to practice your drumming!"_

 _Josh was a fellow nurse who immediately offered to give Toby lessons when she mentioned his interest._

 _It was clear which boy she was talking to as she stared him down with a cheshire grin. Mason chuckled as Toby turned a mighty shade of red as a result of all the stares he was getting, only these ones were of surprise and interest instead of the judging ones he'd been getting._

 _She knew what she was doing, they were ten year olds after all, she just made Toby the "Interesting one" the one that she knew they'd all flock to by the end of the day, and while it definitely wasn't a permanent fix, it would surely help him for today._

" _Why don't you all fade away…" She softly sung along as she drove to work._

...

Mason dragged his feet as he walked towards Pumpkin, hoping to find a shovel or _something_ to help them in their search for worms, and as he reached for the door handle, he heard Glenn and Lori whispering from a few yards away.

"You can't tell anybody, okay?" He heard Lori harshly whisper.

He peered through the windows to look on the other side, and watched as Glenn glanced between her and the approaching Rick.

"You haven't told him yet?" Glenn asked in shock.

 _Told him what?_ Mason thought to himself. And as Glenn gave up and left, Mason quickly followed.

 _Toby can handle getting the worms._ He told himself, knowing he was gonna get chewed out by the younger boy later.

"Glenn!"

Said man turned around and looked at Mason in worry. "Hey Mason, are you okay? What's wrong?"

Mason shook his head. "Nothing's wrong, except the fact you're hiding something with Lori."

Glenn paled and quickly looked in all directions to see if anyone might have heard him. He then placed a hand on Mason's shoulder and walked him over by the side of the house.

"How do you- _When_ did you-" Glenn started.

"I overheard you and Lori, like _two seconds ago._ " Mason blandly told him.

Glenn sighed, clearly beating himself up about being caught. "Look, i-its complicated…"

Before he could continue, Mason stopped him cold. "I'm gonna stand here and keep guessing what it is, unless you tell me."

"N-no, Mason, don't-I can't-"

"Is she infected?"

"What!? No!"

"Does she know the _cure?_ "

"Of course not! Mas-"

"Are you and her having an affair?"

Glenn simply sputtered this time.

"Is she pregnant?"

Glenn froze solid, turning an alarming level of white.

Mason gasped. "You _are_ having an affair!?"

The man once again sputtered. "W-wha- No! She's preg-" He stopped talking, and Mason had a proud grin on his face, clearly he had been wanting to trick him into admitting it, and had succeeded.

But Glenn quickly got ahold of himself. "Mason, you _can't_ tell _anyone._ This is between Lori and Rick." He told the boy sternly.

Mason shrugged. "You don't have to worry, I'm good with secrets, why else do you think me and Toby are the only ones who know Nye's name… Well I guess Carl knows too now, but she's the one who told him." He added as an after thought.

Glenn sighed and ruffled his hair. "You and your brother are scarily good at knowing stuff you're not supposed to."

Mason thought back on a conversation he overheard once. "Mmmm, don't feel too bad, I still don't know what 'going down on someone' means, and why Nye would want to do it to Kristen Bell."

Now Glenn turned an alarming level of red.

…

As Daryl laid on the hard ground, he blurrily looked up to see a figure standing above him.

"Why don't you pull that arrow out, dummy? You could bind your wound better."

He let out a weak laugh. "Merle."

Merle looked down at him. "What's goin' on here? You takin' a siesta or somethin'?"

"A shitty day, bro."

Merle gave him a fake smile. "Like me to get your pillow? Maybe rub your feet?" He asked mockingly.

"Screw you." Daryl answered.

"Huh-uh. You're the one screwed from the looks of it. All them years I spent tryin' to make a man of you, this is what I get? Look at you. Lyin' in the dirt like a used rubber. You're gonna die out here, brother. And for what?" Merle mocked him.

"A girl." Daryl rasped out. "They lost a little girl."

"So you got a thing for little girls now?" Merle shot back.

"Shut up. " Was all Daryl could say back.

"'Cause I noticed you ain't out lookin' for old Merle no more."

"Tried like hell to find you, bro." Daryl defended.

"Like hell you did. You split, man. Lit out first chance you got." Merle argued.

"You lit out. All you had to do was wait. We went back for you. Rick and I, Nye was there too, we did right by you." Daryl told him.

"This the same Rick that cuffed me to the rooftop in the first place? Forced me to cut off my own hand? This him we're talkin' about here?" Merle said angrily, and it was at this point Daryl realized Merle's right hand was still there. "You his bitch now?"

"I ain't nobody's bitch." Daryl growled.

Nye groaned softly a few feet away, still out cold. Merle looked over to her and snorted. "An' what about her, huh? You watch her back, and what's the thanks you get? Why the hell do you even bother with her?"

"She's got kids, man. Has to raise 'em alone" Daryl argued, and only got a mocking snort in response.

Merle ignored him and continued his earlier topic. "You're a joke is what you are, playin' errand boy to a bunch of pansy-asses, niggers and democrats." He chuckled. "You're nothin' but a freak to them. Redneck trash. That's all you are. Yeah, they're laughin' at you behind your back. You know that, don't you? I got a little news for you, son. One day they gonna scrape you off their heels like you was dogshit."

Daryl's eyes began to shut, and Merle hit him on the chest to keep him awake. "Hey. They ain't your kin, your blood. Hell, you had any damn nuts in that sack of yours, you'd got back there and shoot your pal Rick in the face for me." He grabbed Daryl's face. "Now you listen to me. Ain't nobody ever gonna care about you 'cept me, little brother." He patted his face a couple times. "Ain't nobody ever will. Come on, get up on your feet before I have to kick your teeth in." With that, he stood up, staring down at Daryl.

He kicked him in the side, the one thankfully missing an arrow. "Let's go."

Merle grabbed his feet and started dragging him, but when Daryl looked down, he was met with a walker.

…

It was slow and gradual, the first thing she registered was the shallow water she was laying in, then the smell of dirt, then the sound of water rushing, just loud enough to hear over the ringing in her ears. But there was something else besides the water she could hear.

Groaning. Walkers.

She gasped and her eyes flew open when she realized what it was she was hearing. As she forced herself to sit up, she let out a strangled scream as she put weight on her left arm.

 _Fracture! Definitely a fracture!_

She looked over in horror as a bloody Daryl was wrestling a walker, while another one was coming closer only a couple yards away. He looked back and forth between the two walkers, and before she could think over her decision, she was yelling.

" _Move!_ "

Without any questions, Daryl hopped off the walker he had pinned, and Nye quickly swooped above it, raising her monkey wrench high, and bringing it down with as much force as she could.

The soft skull turned to mush under the force, looking absolutely horrifying, but she was too busy holding her left arm and whimpering in pain to notice.

She softly fell to the ground on her knees, cradling her arm to her chest, and when she looked up she saw Daryl laying on the ground and shooting the second walker stumbling towards him, killing it with a single bolt.

They both panted and silently stared at one another in shock of what just happened. He closed his eyes, while she slowly looked around, trying to get her bearings, and noticed she was on the opposite side of the water than she should be. She blinked in confusion, but it quickly dawned on her what must have happened.

 _He… Pulled me out of the water, and to over here after we fell…_

It was then she felt it. The soft breeze on her arm.

Her _right_ arm.

A soft gasp escaped her, and Daryl looked over to her as a result. When he saw her switching the position of her arms, covering up the right one, he sighed.

"Ain't a big deal."

She froze, looking over at him meekly, and it took him a second to continue, as the sight of her _meek_ was such a flip from the immature and independent woman he knew that it stopped him in his tracks.

"…Everyone's got scars." He quietly and uncomfortably finished.

Her jaw opened slightly, and she openly gaped at him. She was having a hard time deciding if the dizziness she suddenly felt was from the concussion she knew she had, or the sudden character development Daryl just displayed.

He slowly got up, and she followed his lead.

"What the hell happened?" A part of her was asking why he pulled her out of the water and over to land.

"Horse got spooked, we fell, and we killed walkers." Daryl answered and sat himself down on a rock.

She rolled her eyes, and she noticed with a start that she had a smile on her face as well. The smile dropped like a stone in water though, as she saw the make-shift bandage he had wrapped around his torso.

" _Shit!_ What happened!?" She asked again, walking up and looking him over.

"A bolt went right through me in the fall." He replied shortly, taking off the rest of his over shirt and folding it, placing it against the wound.

"Then where _is it!?_ " She asked in shock.

His eyes unintentionally flickered to the dead walker with a bolt sticking out of its head.

Her eyes went wide and she looked back and forth between the two. She put her right hand through her hair in stress. "You ripped it out!? _Jesus,_ what were you _thinking_ Daryl!?"

When he opened his mouth to reply, she raised her good hand and stopped him. "Nope. No. Don't wanna hear it." She sighed harshly and deeply, and Daryl was beginning to understand why Mason and Toby try so had to stay in her good graces.

She looked up at the hill they fell down, which was starting to look more and more like a _cliff_ each second that passed. "Can you climb?" She asked, still eyeing the cliff.

"Can you?" He retorted, string down her left arm.

She spun on her heel, crossing her arms the best she could. "Is that a _challenge_ Daryl?"

Neither of them commented on the use of his first name.

Without a word, Daryl walked over to one of the washed up tree stumps by the water, she narrowed her eyes at him when he pulled out the dead squirrel from earlier, placing it down on the old wood, and began skinning it. Then, to her horror, he pulled something out, and _ate it._

"What the holy _fuck-_ " She started, but stopped when he lazily held the dead squirrel out to her, silently offering her some of its _organs._

In no other situation would she do what she did next, but the combination of the painful hunger she felt, and more importantly, the glint in his eye had her moving. The glint showed he didn't think she'd _actually_ go for it, that he was teasing her more than anything.

But that glint was what had her squaring her jaw, marching forward, snatching the rodent out of his hand, and finally reaching in to where she knew the liver to be, and pulling it out and biting down. She did all this without breaking eye contact. And was proud enough in herself from the shocked and dumbfounded look on his face, that she was able to ignore the taste and keep chewing.

After that, he grabbed a shoelace from one of the walkers, and cut off their ears, putting them on the shoelace and making it into a necklace.

"You have issues, dude." She muttered as she watched him.

And finally, they began their climb.

...

Okay, she was ready to die.

She panted and latched onto another small tree lining the cliff, whimpering softly from the consistent throbbing coming from her arm. Thankfully by this point, they were almost to the top.

She chanced looking over at Daryl, who sounded like he was having a worse time than her. "Dude," She panted. "You look like a walker."

He could only manage a glare in response.

Tears had to be fought off as she reached the top, pulling herself up and onto solid, flat ground. As she lay on her back, she stared up at the blue sky above her, bright enough to burn her eyes. She raised her right arm into the air, and yelled, "Fuck you! Not today, bitch!" And her arm flopped back down, landing on her rapidly raising and falling chest.

Then she could have sworn she heard Daryl talking to himself, but she was too exhausted to even move an inch.

Her eyes lolled over when Daryl finally reached the top, grunting and panting. She intended to joke bout how she had a fucked up arm and yet she still managed to beat him, but the words died on her tongue when he looked around the woods before them, and shouted "Yeah, you'd better run!" Into them.

She wet her lips and carefully sat up, watching him in, dare she say it, worry. "Welcome to the crazy club." She decided on trying to lighten the mood. "You should be honored, we only let in people who talk to themselves like psychos."

"Stop." He grumbled.

…

"Hey Toby, what's all this?" Dale greeted and asked, looking down at the hole in the ground, and at Toby who was covered in dirt.

Toby scowled into the dirt. "When I see Mason I'm gonna kick his butt." He replied.

Dale chuckled lightly, knowing the boy would do no such thing, as he had not a single mean bone in his body. He caught sight of the half full bucket. "Worms?"

Toby nodded solemnly, staring off into space as if traumatized. "She just came out of nowhere, and stared us down with eyes that could stop a raging bull." He whispered in a haunted voice and shuddered.

Dale nodded, laughing at the mental image of Nye as some sort of wrathful beast, merely at the loss of her worms. (Dale decided not to tell Toby he had a supply of worms handy, and that Nye knew about them, so there was no point for him and Mason searching)

After that he walked over to the RV, looking up at Andrea. "What's with the Annie Oakley routine?" He asked her.

Andrea sighed. "I don't want to wash clothes anymore, Dale. I want to help keep the camp safe. Is that all right with you?" She sassed.

Dale looked down in shame and walked into the RV, which Glenn was sitting inside.

"Sorry. Just returning your book." Glenn muttered.

Dale raised his hands and waved it off. "Oh no, I'm sorry. If I had known the world was ending, I'd have brought better books." He joked.

Glenn looked down, before standing and awkwardly shuffled his feet. "Dale, you think Andrea's on her period?"

Dale turned and motioned for him to quiet down, knowing Andrea might hear them.

"I'm only asking 'cause it's like all the women are acting really weird, well, except for Nye, but she's- you know, _Nye_. And I read somewhere that when women spend a lot of time together, their cycles line up and they all get super crazy hormonal at the same time." Glenn explained his thought, and Dale raised his hand to silence him.

"I-I'm gonna advise you to keep that theory to yourself." Dale warned him.

Glenn nodded. "Yeah."

But as Dale thought over his words, he narrowed his eyes. "Who else is acting weird?"

He tensed. "Uh- Nye." He evaded.

Dale gave him an unimpressed look. "You just said Nye _wasn't_ acting weird, for Nye standards that is."

He sighed, slowly sitting down and nodding outside the RV. "Maggie." He conceded.

"Ah, Maggie." Dale nodded.

"She started off being mean to me. Then she wanted to have sex with me. And now she's being mean to me again." Glenn explained. "And I don't even want to know what's going on with Lori."

"What's going on with Lori?" Dale asked and Glenn stuttered for a second.

"N-nothing. I don't know."

Dale laughed softly. "All right, let's take this back a step. How do you know that Maggie wanted to have sex with you?" He asked.

Glenn simply bit his thumb and looked up at Dale.

The older man's face fell. "Oh, son, you didn't."

Glenn just smiled proudly.

"Did it ever occur to you how her father might feel about this?" Dale asked.

Glenn shrugged. "She's 22."

"And he is our host." Dale stressed.

Glenn looked down, not wanting to meet Dale's eyes. "He doesn't know."

"Well, see that it stays that way." The man warned. "Jesus, Glenn, what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that I might be dead tomorrow." He said darkly, getting up and leaving. "Thanks for the book." And as he made it out the door, he muttered, "You're right, it sucks."

 _Why couldn't he have been supportive like Nye?_ Glenn asked himself. _Wait, or, was jealous the right word?_

Before Dale could leave the RV, Toby walked in, still covered in sweat and dirt. "Are there any water bottles left?" He asked Dale.

Dale nodded distractedly. "Oh, uh yeah, they're in the fridge."

Toby thanked him and opened the mini fridge, smiling when he saw the water, but scowling and turning to Dale with a pout when he saw the full bag of worms sitting innocently inside.

The man smiled and shrugged lightly. "Sorry kid, I'm scared of your mom too."

"Walkers. Walkers!" They both froze at Andrea's shout.

…

"Those two better have gotten my worms." Nye said to herself as she and Daryl stumbled closer to the Greene property, looking up at the house in the distance with a sigh of relief.

Daryl looked over to her sideways. "Now who's the psycho?"

He got a middle finger back in response.

Before he could say anything else, they watched as T-Dog, Rick, Glenn, and Shane ran up to them.

Nye's smile dropped when she saw they had weapons pointed at them.

"Is that Daryl?" She heard Glenn ask, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"No dumbass, it's Oscar the Grouch." She said and stepped out from behind Daryl.

"That's the third time you've pointed that thing at my head. You gonna pull the trigger or what?" Daryl growled, and they all lowered their weapons in relief.

She bumped his arm with her shoulder, a small smile on her face, one that was admittedly more friendly than not. "Nah, they wouldn't, even I haven't gotten the guts to-"

 **Bang!**

Her mouth went dry as his head rocked back and he dropped. She stared down at the limp form on the ground with wide eyes, her ears rang and she felt bile rise.

"D-Daryl?" She whimpered.

"No! No! No!" Rick yelled, and it only added to Nye's panic.

After everything they both went through, after the fall, after the fight with walkers, after eating a _raw liver,_ she couldn't take this too.

Her vision blacked out, and her body dropped.

"I was kidding." The very much alive Daryl barked out. While Rick and Shane carried him, Glenn and T-Dog carried the unconscious Nye.

"Watch 'er arm." Daryl slurred to them, before promptly passing out.

"Oh my God. Oh my God, is he dead?!" Andrea shouted as she and Dale ran towards them.

"Nye!?"

"What happened!?"

The adults glanced over and saw Mason and Toby running towards them, staring at Nye and Daryl in horror.

"Unconscious. You just grazed him."

"Kids calm down. They're alive." Dale assured them after Rick calmed down Andrea.

"But look at them. What the hell happened?" Glenn asked, looking between the two limp forms. "He's wearing ears, a-and look at her _arm!_ " He said, referring to her right one covered in scars and fresh cuts and bruises.

As they got closer to the house, Rick snatched the ear necklace and muttered, "Let's keep that to ourselves."

"Guys, isn't that Sophia's?" T-Dog suddenly asked, looking down at the doll hanging from Daryl's belt.

…

Due to her head injury, Nye woke up later than Daryl did. As her vision cleared she got a good look at her new "Partner in crime", laid next to her and getting stitched up by Hershel.

She slowly and subtly looked around the room, noting Rick and Shane were there to. It was then that she remembered her arm was on display. She made a slight choking sound and harshly tucked her arm under the blanket.

The others were staring at her now, Rick in worry, Shane in suspicion, and Daryl in… Understanding?

Later on in the future, she'd learn Daryl threatened the group with bodily harm if anyone even mentioned her arm.

"The hell happened?" She slurred.

"Daryl was just telling us." Rick kindly replied.

She nodded, suddenly noticing the large mass of white sitting next to her was her left arm. It was wrapped in so much bandaging it almost looked like an actual cast. She mentally winced at the poor attitude Hershel was sure to have after using up so much of his medical supplies on people he wasn't fond of.

"We found it washed up on the creek bed right there. She must have dropped it crossing there somewhere." Daryl explained to Rick where they found the doll.

"Cuts the grid almost in half." Rick muttered determinedly.

"Yeah, you're welcome." Daryl grunted while Hershel finished his stitches.

"How's he looking?" Rick asked the vet.

"I had no idea we'd be going through the antibiotics so quickly." Hershel said, passive aggressively.

 _Ahhh, there it is._

"Any idea what happened to my horse?" He continued, going around the bed to check Nye's head.

"Yeah, the one who almost killed us? If it's smart, it left the country." Daryl barked and Nye giggled.

"We call that one Nelly, as in Nervous Nelly." Hershel told them as he washed his hands in a bowl of water. "I could have told you she'd throw you if you'd bothered to ask." He said and started checking the wrapping around Nye's head that was starting to be tinged red. "It's a wonder you people have survived this long." He told Rick.

Hershel looked back down at her, taking a flashlight and checking her pupils. "Yes, definitely a concussion." He leaned back and started asking the usual questions. "What state are you in?"

"Currently? One of pain." She snarked, thinking there was no reason to bother with the questions.

He gave her a disapproving look. "What state are you in?" He asked firmly.

She blew out a sigh. "Georgia." She answered blandly.

"Who is the current president?"

"Barack Obama."

"What is your birthday?"

She was tempted to lie, just to spite him because there's no way he could know, but she decided against it. "December sixth."

"What is your name."

"Nye."

Hershel gave her an unamused look. "Your full name."

Nye tensed. "Really? Why? We already know I'm fine after I answered the other-"

"Just answer him, Nye." Rick softly told her.

She swallowed hard, staring down the old man, and then, she got an idea, she decided to make something of the moment.

She turned her eyes over to Daryl, who stared back in confusion. She took in a deep breath through her nose, keeping her eyes on his, and answered.

"Niagara Elise Conner."

His eyes widened, because he knew what this was, this was her own way of offering a fresh start, of offering… Not a hand at friendship, but a chance of it.

This was her way of starting over, and giving him a fair chance.

"Niagara?" The moment was broken by Shane's disbelief.

She growled and turned her head slowly to him. "Yeah, so what? I mean at least its not a douche bag name like Hunter, or Chad, or Shane… Oh, wait!"

He glared at her and opened his mouth in retort when Rick stepped in.

"Alright, that's enough."

He and Shane left the room, Hershel following shortly after. Then, it was just them.

"I gotta say Daryl, I never envisioned myself in bed with you." Nye cheekily said, and while a few weeks ago, it would have been said to be mean spirited, now, it was nothing more than a tease.

And she took comfort in the small chuckle it caused.

…

As they impatiently waited on the steps of the stairs, Toby bounced his leg up and down, while Mason chewed on the sleeve of his shirt. Both of them were waiting for the same thing.

To be given the go ahead to see Nye.

Their heads shot up when they heard approaching footsteps, and when it was reveled to be Carol, they both looked to her hopefully.

She gave a soft nod. "Hershel said they're all patched up." She wasn't even finished when they bolted up the stairs and to their room.

They didn't bother knocking, they simply swung the door open and prepared to shower their guardian with hugs and praise for surviving.

But anything they were going to say or do died as they stared at the shocking sight in front of them.

Nye was clutching her stomach tightly, and quietly cackling, whereas Daryl was looking slightly proud of himself for causing her reaction at whatever it was he had said.

As she got ahold of herself, she looked to the doorway, spotting the boys and grinning ear to ear (Obviously slightly delirious). "Hey! What are you just standing there for?"

They exchanged unsure looks, and slowly walked over to the bed, not noticing the way Daryl hurriedly tugged the blanket over himself. Whereas Nye pulled her right arm out from under it, completely comfortable with Mason and Toby seeing her scars (Though as far as they knew, she got them from an animal attack.)

"What _happened?"_ Mason asked, not at all referring to the trip, but to the sudden change between the two.

Nye leaned her head back and groaned. "How many times are we gonna hear that question today?"

After that, she and Daryl grudgingly told the story once again, and every time Daryl paused to leave out a gory detail, Nye would immediately tell them about it in full detail, leading Daryl to see how Nye treated them (For the most part) like equals. He stopped sugar coating things for them after that realization.

"Wait, wait, wait." Toby stopped them. "You ate a _liver?!"_

Nye nodded sheepishly.

Then, Toby took on a cocky grin, one that Mason soon shared once he caught on.

"So… You ate a liver, one from a squirrel?"

She nodded dumbly.

His grin grew even larger. "So, you _technically_ ate squirrel."

She blinked, then, as it sank in, groaned, flushing slightly.

Daryl was left clueless.

…

Mason and Toby were sent back down to eat dinner, but they simply got their plates and ran back, telling the two the awkwardness in the air was _actually_ killing them.

It wasn't long after they finished their food that they crashed, once again, the excitement exhausting them.

Nye stared at them with loving amusement, as they limply hung halfway out of the chair they shared in the corner.

"I'll have to ask Dale about that guitar, like Smalls mentioned." She murmured tiredly after not being allowed to rest, due to her concussion.

Daryl looked at her in confusion. "Why? You play?"

She grinned softly, nodding as best she could with how heavy her head felt.

They both looked up as Carol walked in, balancing two trays with food for both of them.

"How are you two feeling?" She softly asked.

"As good as I look." Daryl muttered.

"About how I felt that time I got run over." Nye said cheerily.

It was clear by the looks on their faces, that both adults expected her to say she was kidding, but she was indeed not.

Carol cleared her throat. "I brought you some dinner. You must be starving." She addressed them both, then, after some hesitation, leaned down and kissed Daryl's forehead.

He laid there, stunned for a second, before muttering, "Watch out, I got stitches."

He glared out of the corner of his eye at Nye, who was wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"You need to know something. You two did more for my little girl today than her own daddy ever did in his whole life." She told them, looking back and forth between the two.

Nye was stunned, only managing to flush and smile at the short haired woman.

And Daryl was clearly not sure how to take such praise as well. "I didn't do anything Rick or Shane wouldn't have done."

She smiled. "I know." The next part was aimed at him, and him alone. "You're every bit as good as them. Every bit."

He leaned back as she left, and Nye didn't waste a second.

"I bet it was the flower. Chicks dig flowers."

"Stop."

* * *

 **Well, now I have "Squirrel organs you can eat raw" in my search history.**

 **And cookies go to anyone who got the GTLive reference :D**


	9. Guns

**One, shorter chapter, sorry. And two, I've hit my first writers block, and it sucks ass.**

 **Thankfully, the block is only with this story, so I'm going to start putting more work into my Marvel fanfic for now. But, that means updates for this will slow down, again.**

 **Sorry, but I would rather update slower than put out a chapter I wasn't happy with. Anyway,**

 **Martin Conner (Nye's father):** Stephen Lang

 **Oh yeah, you're officially meeting the bastard.**

* * *

The next day came, and Hershel told Nye and Daryl they could go rest in their tents, so long as they didn't do anything that might aggravate their injuries.

And, of course, Nye didn't listen. Because where's the fun in that?

"Hey, you two wanna finally put up our big tent?" Nye asked Mason and Toby as she struggled to pull the heavy tent case out of the back of the van. The three were admittedly tired of being squished together in their, easier to set up, two person tent.

Mason nodded eagerly, whereas Toby looked back and forth between the two, staring at them like they were insane.

"You're kidding, right?" Toby asked her blandly.

She gave him a half-hearted glare, and started tugging on the strap of the case with all her strength. But right when she was about to start pulling with her left arm, Toby stood in front of her.

"Nope, not happening. What did Hershel _just_ say?" Toby asked firmly, standing between her and the tent.

She rolled her eyes. "Not to use my arm for anything." She grumbled.

Toby nodded, gesturing for Mason to help him get out the tent instead. "Yes, so just stand there and don't move."

While he talked she mimed him behind his back.

The two got out the case, laying it out on the ground nearby the others, and it didn't take long for them to get out all the pieces, but that's as far as they got. Nye stood back with a smug smile as they both looked at the instructions as if they were in a different language... Which they were.

"Wait-But… How the hell did you set this up in the first place back at the quarry!? It's all in Spanish!" Mason shouted in disbelief, knowing all she could speak was English and French. She merely continued to smirk.

"I just followed the pictures. Why do you think I'm always finished with my Lego sets before either of you are." She said smugly.

They blinked at her in disbelief, unsure if they should be impressed, or scared.

"Need any help?"

Nye and the boys looked up at Andrea as she came towards them from Daryl's tent.

"If you wouldn't mind." Nye said, sheepishly. "These two twerps won't let me do _anything_."

Andrea nodded in understanding, eyes going down to the heavily bandaged arm, and flickering over to her right one.

Nye fought tooth and nail to stay still and not cover the scars from the other woman's gaze, and trying to seem unaffected by the looks she'd gotten from pretty much everyone.

In the morning, when she tried putting on something with long sleeves, she panicked upon realizing her left arm wouldn't fit through anything, and it took _Daryl_ telling her no one would say anything, for her to work up the courage to walk outside in a baggy Pack-Man T-shirt.

She shook her head, trying to just ignore it. "So, you give him the book?"

Andrea smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I know it won't make up for what happened…"

Nye bumped her hip against Andrea's, smiling reassuringly. "You were trying to protect the camp, can't fault you for that."

Andrea opened her mouth, then closed it, staring at Nye in silence for a few seconds before finally speaking. "He… He basically said the same thing."

Nye's eyes widened, and she tried to ignore the sudden warmness on her face.

 _Shit, those two are gonna be so smug._

Said boys went unnoticed as they glared daggers at Andrea. She was officially on their shit list, even Toby's.

Not only did she shoot Daryl (And could have easily shot Nye instead) there was a more childish reason they didn't like her, and it _just_ happened. They both shared a look, silently agreeing to go and visit Daryl in his tent soon, wanting to make sure Andrea hadn't brain washed him or something. They didn't like her encroaching on their territory… Well, technically it was _Daryl's_ territory, but it was _Nye_ who was supposed to encroach on it.

Just when the boys were beginning to think their secret mission to make Nye and Daryl friends would be impossible, they come back from their search with a _truce,_ and a good one at that. So, they had to make sure that Nye was the one around Daryl the most, as they both knew, with long exposure to Nye, it was impossible not to love her.

As the women continued talking, Glenn passed by, looking twitchy.

"Hey Speedy,"

Glenn whipped around at Nye's greeting.

"You okay?" She asked in concern.

Glenn nodded in a rushed manner. "O-oh, yeah, I'm f-fine!"

Mason face-palmed, wondering how anyone would ever trust him with _any_ secret.

Nye nodded hesitantly, clearly knowing he was lying, but not wanting to push him.

By the time they finished it was around noon, and Mason and Toby both looked exhausted. But, Nye wasn't done with them.

When Andrea wandered off to who knows where, Nye turned to the boys. "Gun training."

They both lazily looked up at her from their sprawled position on the ground. "What?" Mason asked.

Nye grinned. "You're getting gun training today."

It was clear they didn't know weather to cheer, or cry at the thought of more work. But, then again, it was _guns_ and how could they pass up that opportunity?

…

"Hey. Let me see what you've got there."

Nye looked up from her position searching for sunscreen in the back of Pumpkin, watching in shock as Carl followed Shane's order, lifting up the bottom of his shirt, and showing the gun underneath.

She swore explosively, knowing with how Lori was, this was going to _suck_ for Carl.

After Shane rounded up Rick, Lori, and Dale, they all stood in a semicircle next to the boy to discuss the situation.

"How the hell did this happen?" Lori asked in disbelief, checking the rounds in the small revolver he took.

"Well, it's my fault. I let him into the RV." Dale told them. "He said he wanted a walkie, that you sent him for one."

"So on top of _everything_ else, he lied." Lori said, clearly getting angrier. She looked down at Carl, seeing him hang his head. "What's he thinking?" Lori whispered to Rick.

In Nye's opinion, what Carl did was wrong, _but,_ only in the fact he _stole_ the gun. She thought it was the right idea to have the kids armed, as there was a less likely chance of them shooting or stabbing themselves than them getting attacked by a walker, or even worse, a _person._

"He wants to learn how to shoot." Shane told them. "He asked me to teach him. Now it's none of my business, but I'm happy to do it. It's your call."

"Well I'm not comfortable with it." Lori scoffed, and everyone turned to stare at her. "Oh, don't make me out to be the unreasonable one here. Rick?"

"I know. I have my concerns too, but-"

"-There's no but. He was just _shot_. He's just back on his feet and he wants a _gun_?" Lori cut him off.

"Better than him being afraid of 'em." Rick said, and Nye nodded along. "There are guns in camp for a reason. He should learn to handle them safely."

"I don't want _my_ kid walking around with a gun." Lori stressed. Nye blinked, feeling like Lori's last sentence may have been targeted towards _her._

"Mason and Toby have knives, now I know they're not _guns_ but-" Nye tried.

"Yeah, they have knives, and look how great they're turning out." Lori bit back, viciously.

Nye froze, eyes wide, and as was everyone else's as they stared at Lori in shock. And even Lori herself was shocked, going by the guilty look on her face right after she said it, she obviously didn't mean it.

But, Nye was a momma bear, and Lori just threw a barb at her cubs. She glared at the other woman, and opened her mouth to tell her off, and to point out how Mason and Toby were the _only_ kids without a scratch on them.

But… If she said that, then that would imply Sophia was…

She closed her mouth, contenting herself to just glare.

"How can you defend that? You can't let him go around without protection." Rick asked his wife, bringing the conversation back to guns.

"He's as safe as he'll ever be right here." Lori said, and Nye had to fight off her scoff. "Look, everything you're saying makes perfect sense. It feels wrong. I mean I didn't feel good about him following you out into the woods. And I wish I'd said something. I should've gone with my gut."

"He's growing up, thank God. We've got to start treating him more like an adult." Rick continued his case.

"Then he needs to act like one. He's not _mature_ enough to handle a gun." Lori said, harshly.

Carl stood, turning to the adults. "I'm not gonna play with it, mom. It's not a toy. I'm sorry I disappointed you, but I want to look for Sophia and I want to defend our camp. I can't do that without a gun."

Nye smiled proudly at the kid, wondering jokingly if he had practiced that speech or what.

"Shane's the best instructor I know. I've seen him teach kids younger than Carl." Rick whispered to his wife.

Lori was silent for a few seconds, then marched towards Carl and gently took hold of his face. "You will take this seriously and you will behave responsibly. And if I hear from anyone in this camp that you're not living up to our expectations-"

"He won't let you down." Rick told her.

Carl nodded. "Yeah."

Nye quietly snorted at that short reply after his big grown up speech.

…

The tip of her tongue poked out between her lips, and as she brushed the light sheen of sweat from her brow, she let out a huff of air.

The bottle she was faced against didn't last long, it, like the rest of it's brethren, was shattered soon after being placed on one of the fence posts in front of them.

She glanced on either side of herself, seeing Mason on her right and Toby on her left, and much to her joy, they were both decent shots, they could definitely hit a walker that was coming their way.

"Careful there, Nye." Rick warned as he passed, noticing she had both hands of the gun. "We can't have that fracture getting any worse."

Nye nodded, dropping her left hand and continued shooting.

"Do you think Daryl's lonely right now? A lot of us are here, only Glenn, Dale and Hershel are back at the farm with him." Mason asked, out of nowhere.

Nye snorted, getting glares in response. "No, I highly doubt _Daryl_ is _lonely._ " Nye shook her head, trying to imagine Daryl pouting in his tent because nobody was spending time with him. The thought made her snort again. If anything, Daryl pouts when people are near him, and so he was probably having the time of his life at the moment.

"Besides, he's got that book Andrea gave him to keep him busy." She finished, shooting and shattering another bottle at the end.

She didn't notice the agitated glance the two shared.

"Yeah, what was up with that anyway?" Mason grumbled, and Toby nodded along, a scowl firmly on his face.

Nye went to answer, but Toby spoke first.

"You don't think she likes Daryl, do you?" He asked in horror, and Nye lost it.

They shared horrified looks at the thought, while Nye nearly fell to the ground, laughing hard enough to cause tears.

"No, no, no! If Andrea becomes Daryl's girlfriend then it will be _super_ hard to make Nye and him frie-" Mason started panicking, and Toby ran over and slammed his hand over Mason's mouth, cutting the boy off.

Nye's giggles slowly subsided, and she looked between the two in bemusement. "Uh, Smalls, I think you're smothering him."

Toby hesitantly let go, giving Mason a warning look, to which the other boy nodded, realizing what he was about to reveal.

After they all managed to shoot something a few times, Rick and Shane told them to load up.

"Anybody got any questions?" Shane asked before they got in the cars.

Nye raised her hand, much to the surprise of… Well, everyone who knew her.

"Uh, yeah." She hesitated, pretending to look genuinely puzzled, but she was unable to hold the expression long. "Where, the holy _hell_ did we get _all_ these bottles!?"

…

After the gun training, she felt sort of… Bored.

She hadn't felt like that since the world was still bright and loud, sure at the camp things were calm for the most part, but it was all still fresh enough that you were constantly on guard. But now, with how _safe_ the farm felt, she was able to finally relax, and be bored.

And that would be fine, if they found Sophia on their search. But they hadn't yet.

So instead of finally relaxing and reveling in the ability to be bored, she was sitting on the porch, staring off into the trees on the edge of the Greene property, bouncing her leg and (While she knew it was a long shot) prayed Sophia would stumble through the trees, a bit scraped up and dirty, but _alive._

She sighed, knowing just sitting there would do nothing but stress her out, and that was when she got an idea.

She marched over to Pumpkin, shuffling around the glove compartment until she found what she was looking for.

Now, the question was, who to play with? Glenn was out of the running already, as she knew he couldn't keep anything from her. Shane and Andrea were who knows where, and Lori and the Greene's were out too, and she knew Rick, T-Dog and Dale were all most likely busy.

So, that left her with three kids.

She blinked, suddenly remembering someone she missed.

With a resigned sigh, she walked over to his tent, pulling the zipper door open without warning. He looked up at her in confusion and (Funnily enough) suspicion.

She raised her hands in surrender. "Relax, I'm not here to kick your ass," She paused, seeming to rethink it. "Actually, that's exactly what I'm here to do." And with that, she whipped out a deck of cards, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

…

She would never admit it to anyone, but, she had fun playing poker with Daryl.

They had played for a good couple hours, and as she walked she shook her head, trying to piece together how she went from throwing barbs at him, to laughing at something he said. It was almost dizzying.

Upon realizing she still had her gun, she sighed, turning around and walking towards the RV. She swung open the door, stepping inside and looking around, she paused, however, when she saw the bag of guns still missing from training.

She stepped back out, looking in through all of the other cars windows, searching for the bag, she finally thought she found it when she spotted a shotgun in Shane's new car.

Shaking off the weird feeling she suddenly got from the sight of the gun, she opened the door, and leaned in, reaching around were the shotgun was, only to find it was the only gun there. After blowing a raspberry in anger, she picked it up, weighing it in her hands, wondering why it seemed so oddly familiar.

But she froze. Blood running cold when she realized who's gun it was. The old and worn wood stared back at her, making her body react in horror before her mind even realized what was wrong with this picture. She'd seen that gun before, when it was being held by a man who supposedly gave his life for Shane's. Who supposedly died holding this very gun.

Without thought, she dropped the gun as if it had burned her, scrambling out of the car and landing on her backside, staring up into the car and at the gun with wide eyes, slowly crawling back a couple feet.

And suddenly, she heard voices through the ringing in her ears.

"-A little boy lived because of what went down that night. I think you ought to show some gratitude."

It was like all the air inside of her was sucked out, and she frantically shut the door, stumbling to her feet and backing away from the car, as if it were some scene to a crime.

 _It might as well be._

"I wasn't there." She heard Dale say.

"No, man, you weren't." Shane bit back.

"But I was the time that you raised your gun on Rick." Dale told him.

She took a sharp breath through her nose, finally going around the cars to watch Dale and Shane quietly argue.

"Come on. Jesus." Shane groaned in disbelief.

"You had him in your _sights_ and you _held_ him there." Dale looked him up and down. "I know what kind of man you are."

Not wanting to get caught listening in, she ran low to the ground away from them, and found herself back at Daryl's tent.

She once again barged in uninvited, and Daryl looked up at her from the book Andrea gave him, staring at her in annoyance. But before he could say anything, she was speaking first.

"Shane has Otis' gun!" She shot out in a cross between a scream and a whisper.

She didn't need to clarify, that was all it took for him to understand, and as he clenched his jaw she sat down on the floor, staring at him and silently begging him what they were gonna do.

All he could manage was, "Shit."

She stayed there with him until dark, he took a break from reading the book and they played every card game they could with the one deck, just trying to distract themselves and think of what to do at the same time, which was admittedly counter productive.

Just when she was about to leave, they heard footsteps.

"Daryl? Have you seen Nye?" Mason asked, outside the tent.

She sagged, mentally beating herself up about leaving the two alone basically all evening.

"In here." Daryl called to them.

They both came through the small doorway, staring back and forth between Nye and Daryl in excitement.

"What are you doing here?" Toby asked Nye "sweetly".

Nye opened her mouth, but paused. She shared a glance with Daryl, and he simply stared back, silently telling her the decision to tell them was hers.

She looked back to them, and plastered on a smile. "We were playing poker." Which, technically, wasn't a lie.

They both plopped down next to her. "Can we play?" Mason asked, eagerly.

Nye looked up at Daryl. "You ready to get your ass whooped by eleven and ten year olds?"

Daryl snorted. "Like how I whooped yours?"

She could just hear the silent amusement coming from Mason and Toby after Daryl's response.

They played well into the night, all of them winning at least once, and by the time Nye and the boys went to there own tent, she was exhausted enough, that her mind had no time to run about Shane having Otis' gun and what it meant.

…

 _The sound of whistling filled the old junkyard, all coming from a eighteen year old girl._

 _She adjusted a few more wires under the hood of a beat up, grey Volkswagen type 2. She grinned as she finished, leaning back and pulling the hood down with little resistance._

 _Taking a step back, she nearly jumped in the air in joy, because now, all that was left was the paint job, and she already knew what color she wanted._

 _"_ _Don't you worry Pumpkin, the face will match the name soon." She said, fondly patting the side of the van._

 _"_ _This is the piece of shit you've been runnin' off to?" A deep voice growled._

 _She whirled around, freezing in fear as her father walked closer, staring at the vehicle with nothing but anger in his eyes._

 _"_ _This is what you've been wastin' all that money on?" The man got louder, swinging the beer bottle around the angrier he got, clearly showing off he was drunk._

 _"_ _D-dad, I can explain-"_

 _He threw the bottle at the side of the van, causing it to shatter only a few feet from her face. She screamed and fell to the ground, staring up at him in fear._

 _"_ _I'm tired of puttin' up with your shit! I found_ this _in the mail!" He yelled, throwing down an opened letter at her._

 _With shaking hands, she picked up the letter, scanning through the words, and as she did, an involuntary smile split across her face._

 _"_ _The hell are you tryin' to get into fuckin' college_ _for!?" The man raged, and she was brought back to what was happening._

 _She slowly got to her feet, holding up her hands in a show of peace. "I-I just… I…" She took a deep breath. "I want to help people. I want_ _to be a nurse._ That's _why." She said strongly, and was proud of herself for it._

 _But the pride died quickly, as his chest puffed up, and he grabbed the nearest tool from her tool-box._

 _Which happened to be her crowbar._

 _"_ _D-dad- Dad what are you-" She screamed as he swung the crowbar at the van, shattering one of the back windows._

 _"_ _Dad please stop! What are you-"_

 _"_ _You gotta learn a lesson Niagara!" He said, swinging again and denting the exterior._

 _Her breath hitched at the familiar sentence, and from the reminder, all of her scars throbbed at once._

 _Without any thought, she ran for the driver's side door, swinging it open and jumping inside._

 _He stopped in his destruction, staring at her in burning anger. "The hell do you think you're doin'!?"_

 _Her breath hitched again, and she shoved the keys into the ignition, and as soon as she heard it purr to life, she stomped reverse._

 _The tires screeched, and after going back about ten feet, she stopped. She looked up through the windshield, staring at her father who panted and glared at her like she was the scum of the earth. It was a look she was familiar with._

 _There was a moment of silence, before she backed out of the junk yard completely, leaving him behind to yell and swear at her._

 _"_ _It's all your fault! Everythin's your fault! You killed her you whore!"_

 _As she drove, his yells became more and more distant, until she couldn't hear him anymore._

 _Tears ran down her face and she tried to keep herself from a panic attack. She shakily looked down at the innocent piece of paper sitting next to her._

 _And despite what just happened, she smiled._

 _Because she just got her golden ticket._

* * *

 **Note: I had to copy and paste this one, so if there are any problems, that's why.**


	10. It's her

**Heeeeeeey… So, in my defense, I** _ **did**_ **say updates would be slower, I'm just now realizing how long it's been since the last one. And it's probably gonna be that long again until** _ **next**_ **chapter.**

 **Sorry about the depressing ending, but this is what the episode called for, and on top of that, some not so nice things have been going on with my extended family (whom I'm really close to) but I won't go into details.**

 **Anyway, thank you all so much! Seeing how many people have fav'd and followed just makes me so happy :D**

 **If you have the time, please review! :D**

* * *

"Careful old man, you might pop your stitches." Nye joked, watching as Daryl slowly sat down on the lawn chair beside hers. She was flipped off in return.

"Do you two even realize how much you do that to each other?" Toby asked them, sitting on the ground next to Mason as they played 'Go Fish'.

And for that, they both turned to him, and in total sync Nye and Daryl both jokingly flipped _him_ off.

He rolled his eyes, and quickly thanked Carol as she handed him and Mason some eggs.

Nye sighed and sunk lower in her chair, eyes straying to Shane. After the initial panic the night before, she realized that many bad things would come from ratting Shane out. As much as she hates to admit it, he was extremely helpful to the group with all of his experience as a cop.

That, and she was pretty sure he'd kill her if she tattled. So, he was safe, for now.

Out of complete boredom, she turned to Daryl, who looked up at her in question from his eggs.

She grinned, and promptly flung a few bits of egg at him.

He glared at her, and, once again flipped her off.

She barked out a laugh and went to fling more at him. But before she could, Glenn stood, slowly making his way over and gaining everyone's attention.

"Um, guys." He slowly started. "So…" His voice shook.

"The barn is full of walkers."

Her fork dropped down to her plate, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't hear the cicadas through the ringing in her ears.

…

She tried to swallow the thick lump in her throat, but wasn't succeeding.

All of the adults stood before the barn doors, listening to the moans and growls of the undead inside.

Shane walked up to the doors, peeking in through a gap, and after a few seconds of staring at them, he was like a raging bull. He whirled around, glaring at Rick.

"You cannot tell me you're all right with this." He growled, and Rick shook his head.

"No I'm not, but we're guests here. This isn't our land." Rick said, firmly.

Shane shook his head violently. "This is our lives!"

"Lower your voice." Glenn warned.

"We can't just sweep this under the rug." Andrea voiced.

"It ain't right. Not remotely." Shane continued. He paced for a moment, before turning back to Rick. "Okay, we've either got to go in there, we've got to make things right or we've just got to go. Now we have been talking about Fort Benning for a long time-"

"We can't go." Rick cut him off.

"Why, Rick? Why?" Shane demanded.

Nye snarled, wanting nothing more than to shoot him down and bring up Otis' gun, but it wasn't the right time, nor was she suicidal.

Carol stepped forward. "Because my daughter is still out there."

"Okay." Shane scoffed. "Okay, I think it's time that we all start to just consider the other possibility."

"Shane!" Rick cut him off again. "We're not leaving Sophia behind."

"We're close to finding this girl. We just found her damn doll two days ago." Daryl barked at him.

Shane laughed, as if this was all ridiculous. "You found her doll, Daryl. That's what you did. You found a _doll_."

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about!" Daryl yelled, taking a few steps closer to Shane.

"I'm just saying what needs to be said! You get a good lead, it's in the first forty eight hours!"

"Shane stop!"

"Let me tell you something else, man." Shane continued. "If she was alive out there and saw you coming, all methed out with your buck knife, she would run in the other direction!"

And as Daryl lunged at Shane to hit him, Rick grabbed onto him, stopping him. But, to everyone's surprise, Shane _did_ get struck.

Her fist slammed into the left side of his jaw, making a resounding crack through the air, loud enough to stop everyone in their tracks.

They all stared at her as she panted in rage, clenching her red knuckled fist a few times, showing off that the hit was hard enough to hurt her.

"You sick, son of a-" She started saying as he snarled at her and reached out, clearly intending to inflict some form of damage on her in return.

But before he could, Daryl was in front of her, and Rick was in front of Shane.

He snarled at them, before sharply turning and walking away.

"Now just let me talk to Hershel. Let me figure it out." Rick called to him.

Shane whipped around. "What are you gonna figure out?!" Shane yelled.

"If we're gonna stay, if we're gonna clear this barn, I have to talk him into it. This is his land." Rick said, firmly.

Dale stepped forward. "Hershel sees those things in there as people, sick people, his _wife_ , h-his _stepson_."

Nye hung her head. _Of course. Dale always knows things before anyone else does._

"You knew?" Rick asked him.

"Yesterday I talked to Hershel." Dale told them.

"And you waited the night?" Shane growled.

"I thought we could survive one more night. We _did_." Dale turned back to Rick, continuing much calmer. "I was waiting till this morning to say something. But _Glenn_ wanted to be the one."

"How have we not noticed them?" Nye softly asked as she eyed the barn, the shouts of the others blocking it out for the most part.

"The man is crazy, Rick, if Hershel thinks those things are alive or no!" Shane yelled.

And that was the finale straw, the walkers started banging on the wooded doors, making them creek and whine against the force.

All that stood between them, and the undead, was two pieces of worn wood, and a chain.

…

"Are there really walkers in the barn!?"

"Is Rick going to talk with Hershel?"

"How many are there!?"

"Is the barn secure? Can the walkers get out?"

Nye took a deep breath, keeping her mouth shut as she shuffled Mason and Toby over to Lori and Carl.

"Lori." Nye called.

Said woman looked up, and cocked her head to the side lightly.

"Uh, yeah, what's going on?" She hesitantly asked.

The two had barely spoken to each other since Lori's comment about the boys.

Nye looked down for a second, seemingly debating with herself on something. "Could… Could Ace and Smalls join Carl with homework?"

Lori looked pleasantly surprised, whereas Mason and Toby looked at her like she just declared she was a walker who planned to eat them.

" **But** -"

Before either boy could plead their case, Nye sent them a look, not of anger or impatience, but of exhaustion. They'd never seen the space under her eyes so dark before, and the way she was yawning every few minutes, it was clear she hadn't gotten any sleep the night before, and with the barn now a problem, the best thing they could do for her at the moment was to comply.

Even if that meant _math._

They slowly nodded, and sat beside Carl, both borrowing a textbook.

Nye sighed in relief, glad to not have to have had an argument over it, and as she turned to leave, Lori stood.

"Wait."

She looked over her shoulder as Lori approached her.

"I, um…" Lori started, taking a quick glance back at the boys, who were too occupied by the homework to listen in. "I-I'm sorry."

Nye blinked.

"I should _not_ have said what I did about Mason and Toby." Lori ran her hands through her hair. "I just don't know what got into me, I…"

Nye softened as Lori struggled with what to say. "I'm not going to say it was okay, because it wasn't."

Lori nodded.

Nye sighed. "But… We can put it behind us. Just _never_ say _anything_ about my boys like that again."

Lori sighed, looking as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She opened her mouth to say more, but something in the distance gave her pause.

"What is he doing?" Lori faintly asked, and Nye turned around to follow her gaze.

They watched as Daryl marched into the stable.

"You don't think he's _leaving,_ do you?"

Nye growled under her breath.

And when they saw Carol entering the stable, where they knew an angry Dixon waited, Nye knew she was investigating.

"Watch them for me?" She quickly asked and got a nod in return, and with that, she started jogging to the stable.

Halfway there, she froze, and watched Daryl storm out, clutching his side.

Cursing under her breath, she changed course and started running up to him. It took until they reached his camp for her to have caught up.

"Tell me you weren't planning on going out." She said through clenched teeth.

Daryl chewed his bottom lip, refusing to say anything.

Nye groaned and looked to the sky. "Are you _serious?!_ "

"She thinks the kid's dead." He growled.

Nye blinked at the sudden change of topic, and slowly looked down at him. "What do you mean…?" She slowly asked in disbelief.

He huffed and gestured to the stable. "Said she doesn't think we're gonna find 'er."

Nye sucked in a sharp breath, trying to imagine Carol talk like that. "M-maybe she's just-"

Daryl shook his head, shutting down her argument. "Ain't no excuse." He growled.

Nye glared at him. "Daryl, she's a grieving mother, give her a break."

Daryl whipped around and stared her down. "What if it were Mason or Toby?"

Nye froze, a stream of horrible images flooded her mind, and she knew she couldn't lie about her answer.

"I'd be out there, right now. Searching until I collapsed."

Daryl nodded, seeming to share her view.

…

After the homework, Nye came and got them, taking them to the Winnebago and pulling out all of Dale's board games.

"Dibs on the shoe." Nye said, as she opened Monopoly.

They both stared at her, seeing right through her attempts at distractions.

"This is bullshit." Mason stated as Nye got the game ready.

"Ace-"

"No! This. Is. Bullshit." He said and stood in his seat. "You're not telling us _anything,_ and it's _bullshit!"_

But it seemed Nye was at her breaking point. " _What do you want me to do!?"_

They both reeled back and froze, Mason dropping back to his seat.

"The barn's full of walkers, Sophia's still missing and Carol's giving up on her, Hershel's gonna kick us off the farm, Shane killed Otis, and I haven't slept in _days!"_ Nye panted, running her fingers through her hair. "Are you _happy_ now? Are you glad to be caught up?" She asked, sarcastically.

Mason slumped in his chair, and Toby looked on the verge of tears.

She swallowed thickly, and as she was opening her mouth to apologize, Shane busted in.

All three of them froze, and Mason and Toby looked up at her, silently asking if what she said about Shane was true.

She gave a single nod, and they both paled.

Shane didn't pay them any attention as he ransacked the RV looking for something.

It wasn't until Shane slammed his hands down on the counter and muttered "Son of a bitch." That Nye said something.

"Ace, Smalls, go."

Shane whipped around, almost seeming to have _just_ noticed them, and as he snarled at Nye, Mason and Toby ran out of the RV.

"Where are they?" He demanded.

Nye shook her head. "What are you talking abou-"

He slammed his fist against the wall and started walking towards her. "I know you know where they are. Why else would you be in here?"

Despite her fear, she scoffed. "We were playing board games, jackass." She gestured to the table were Monopoly innocently sat.

He shook his head, and without a word, he marched up to her and grabbed the front of her shirt, slamming her against the wall.

"What the fuck!? Dude, let go of me!" Nye struggled in his grip.

"You listen to me, bitch, you're gonna tell me exactly where-"

"The hells goin' on?" A voice at the door of the RV growled.

…

After Nye told them to go, they silently agreed that she needed backup after what she told them about Shane. And while they knew they wouldn't be able to help her fight him if need be, they knew she needed _someone._

So, they ran to the person they knew could help her.

"Daryl!" Mason yelled as they ran up to his camp.

He looked up from the arrow he was making, but before he could ask what was going on, Toby was speaking.

"Nye's in the RV…" He panted with his hands on his knees.

Daryl nearly rolled his eyes, thinking it was no big deal, but then Mason finished for his brother.

"Shane's with her!"

Daryl's face fell.

…

Nye sighed when she saw the voice had come from their resident redneck, but tensed when Shane refused to let her go.

He paused and seemed to realize something. "Dale has it." He suddenly growled, dropping Nye's collar.

He marched out of the RV, glaring at Nye and Daryl as he went, but before he went out the door, he turned to Nye.

"You ever try and pull that shit again, you'll regret it." He growled, the bruise on his chin staring back at her.

The RV was silent as he walked away, and she slowly sank to the floor, hand shakily reaching up and fidgeting with her goggles.

"H-how did you…?"

"Mason and Toby got me." Daryl answered, and as if he summoned them, they ran into the RV.

When the saw her on the ground, all hell broke loose.

"Fuck! Are you okay?!"

"He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"If that psycho hurt you, I'll-"

"You'll what, Mason? You're not even half his size."

"Well, I'll… throw you at him, or something."

"You'd _throw_ me at him!?"

She couldn't help it, she snorted at their argument.

Daryl shook his head at them, clearly trying to understand how this was normal behaver for them.

After Shane ran off on his search for Dale, they all left the RV and Nye told Mason and Toby to go hang out with Carl, and by the smug looks on their face's, she knew that _they_ knew, she just wanted a minute to talk with Daryl.

"So, you gonna apologize to her, or what?" She asked him once she was calm enough after her encounter with Shane, cocking her head to the side and raising a single brow.

He sighed, giving her an annoyed look, but only because he knew she was right.

She smiled. "Question is, how are you gonna…" She paused, an idea forming in her head.

"What?" He asked, suspiciously.

She grinned as wide as the Cheshire cat. "Remember what I said," She leaned forward, as if telling him some big secret. "Chick's dig flowers."

And twenty minutes later, she smirked upon seeing him leading Carol to the Cherokee rose bush.

…

After what happened in the RV, Nye decided they'd play on the porch instead, and after some time, Mason was the first to ask.

"So, how'd you find out that Shane…?" He quietly asked, not meeting her eyes and moving his piece three times on the board.

She sighed softly. "I found Otis' gun in Shane's car. The gun Otis was supposed to have died with."

"W-well, that doesn't necessarily mean…" Toby trailed off in his defense. It wasn't for Shane, but for the sake of the group.

"I wish you hit him harder. And in the nuts." Mason glumly added, and Nye huffed a laugh.

She looked up from the board, smiling softly when she saw Glenn and Maggie sitting on the steps together

Right when Glenn stood, T-Dog and Andrea walked up.

"Do you know what's going on?" T-Dog asked.

"Where is everyone?" Andrea asked, and Nye narrowed her eyes at the lack of effort it seemed was going into communication.

"You haven't seen Rick?" Glenn asked her.

"He went off with Hershel. We were supposed to leave a couple hours ago." Andrea continued.

"Yeah you were."

Nye looked over at Daryl and Carol approaching.

"What the hell?" Daryl finished.

"Rick told us he was going out." Andrea shrugged.

Nye groaned and leaned her head back.

"Damn it. Isn't anybody taking this seriously? We got us a damn trail." Daryl barked, gesturing towards the woods, catching sight of Shane making his way closer. "Oh, here we go." He muttered sarcastically, until he saw the bag of guns.

"What's all this?" He asked, and Shane held out a gun. It was quickly becoming clear what was happening.

"You with me, man?" Shane asked, and Nye hung her head and scowled when she heard Daryl murmur "Yeah."

 _So, we're just ignoring what we know he did, and what happened earlier in the RV, huh Dixon?_

"Time to grow up. You already got yours?" He asked Andrea.

"Yeah. Where's Dale?" She asked.

"He's on his way." Shane growled.

"Thought we couldn't carry." T-Dog said when Shane handed him a gun.

Nye stepped down the porch, followed by Mason and Toby.

"We can and we have to. Look, it was one thing sitting around here picking daisies when we thought this place was supposed to be safe. But now we know it ain't." Shane ranted.

"How about you, man? You gonna protect yours?" He asked Glenn, holding out a gun, which, to Nye's shock, he took.

Shane nodded and turned to Maggie. "Can you shoot?"

"Can you stop?" She barked back. "You do this, you hand out these guns, my dad will make you leave tonight."

Nye marched up and shoved Shane back, and was extremely annoyed when he merely glanced at her like she was just a tiny inconvenience. "Dude. Stop."

Carl came down the porch steps. "We have to stay, Shane."

Then, Lori came out of nowhere, and despite their earlier truce, Nye couldn't help the scoff that bubbled up at the obvious lack of attention she gave Carl.

 _Hell, the kid could go out, find a walker in the woods, come back, and she'd be non the wiser._

"What is this?" The woman asked.

"We ain't going anywhere, okay? Now look, Hershel, he's just gotta understand. Okay? He… Well, he's gonna have to." Shane continued, and crouched down in front of Carl, holding out a gun for him. "We need to find Sophia. Am I right? Huh? Now I want you to take this. You take it, Carl, and you keep your mother safe. You do whatever it takes. You know how. Go on, take the gun and do it."

Just when Nye was about to charge forward and intervene, Lori beat her to it.

"Rick said no guns. This is not your call. This is not your decision to make." Lori hissed.

"Oh shit." T-Dog groaned, staring off at something on the edge of the woods.

They all followed his gaze, and all paled at what they saw.

"What… The _fuck?"_ Nye muttered as she stared at Rick, Hershel and Jimmy leading walkers on snare polls to the barn.

"What is that?" Shane whispered as he and everyone else ran over to the scene. "What is that?"

"Shane!" Lori yelled after him.

Shane reached them seconds before the rest.

"What the hell are you doing!?" He yelled.

"Shane, just back off." Rick ordered, struggling with the male walker he had.

"Why do your people have guns?" Hershel demanded.

"Are you kidding me!? You see? You see what they're holding onto!?" Shane barked.

"I see _who_ I'm holding onto." Hershel bit back.

Nye grimaced, feeling many things for the old man, but feeling pity most of all.

"Get your knives out." She whispered to the two boys on either side of her. They dazedly followed her order, whereas she pulled out her handgun she never returned to the bag after she found Otis' shotgun, silently apologizing to Rick for keeping her gun in secret.

"No, man, you don't." Shane yelled.

"Shane, just let us do this and then we can talk." Rick tried.

"What you want to talk about, Rick? These things ain't sick. They're not people. They're dead. Ain't gonna feel nothing for them 'cause all they do, they kill! These things right here, they're the things that killed Amy. They killed Otis!"

"We both know that's a lie!" Nye spat out, Shane making her reach her boiling point. He looked at her, and she got an acidic glare from him in return.

"They're gonna kill all of us!" He continued as if she hadn't spoken.

"Shane, shut up!" Rick yelled.

"Hey, Hershel man, let me ask you something. Could a living breathing person, could they walk away from this?" Shane continued, much quieter. He pulled out his gun, aiming at the walker Hershel was holding onto, and firing.

"No! Stop it!" Rick shouted, but Shane wouldn't listen.

"That's three rounds in the chest. Could someone who's alive, could they just take that?! Why is it still coming?" He asked, shooting it again. "That's its heart, its lungs. Why is it still coming?" He continued to shoot.

"Don't look." Nye told Mason and Toby, but they were transfixed on the scene in front of them.

"Shane, enough." Rick yelled.

"Yeah, you're right, man. That _is_ enough." Shane said, walking up to the walker, and almost lazily, shot it in the head.

The shot rang out, bringing silence in its wake, and in that moment Nye knew there was no going back.

And when the silence was finally broken, it was jarring.

"Enough risking our lives for a little girl who's _gone_!" Shane shouted, and he looked entirely deranged. "Enough living next to a barn full of things that are trying to kill us. Enough. Rick, it ain't like it was before! Now if y'all want to live, if you want to survive, you got to fight for it! I'm talking about fighting right here, right now."

And with that, he ran to the barn.

"Shane! Don't!" She screamed, but she knew, it was no use,

Shane had lost it.

"Take the snare pole. Hershel, take the snare pole!" Rick begged the man on the ground beside him, but Hershel was in shock, everything was just white noise to him.

And if Nye hadn't been in similar shock, she would have ran up and taken it, but she couldn't seem to move her legs.

"Hershel, listen to me, man, please. Take it now. Hershel! Take it!" Rick continued to beg, and Shane slammed a pickaxe against the lock on the barn door.

"No, Shane. Do not do this, brother. Wait!"

"Don't do it!"

"Rick! Please!"

"Come on. Come on, we're out here." Shane goaded the walkers as he finally got the door open.

"This is not the way! Please!"

She couldn't breath, she couldn't think, all she could do was move Mason and Toby behind her, and shakily raise her gun.

And then, the first one came out, a man, in overalls.

 _But that's not right, he's not a man anymore._

The walker was shot down, followed by the next one, and the next. In all the chaos, there was no telling who was shooting down what walker, all she did know, were the ones _she_ was dropping.

It couldn't have been even five minutes, but it felt like an hour. And as the last walker dropped, the silence rang even heavier than the last one.

She very slowly and shakily lowered her gun, staring at the carnage in front of them in horror. It was nothing compared to the CDC, but this was somehow worse.

Then, they all heard a faint growl come from the barn.

The first thing Nye saw, were the little white sneakers, then the beige pants, then the purple rainbow T-Shirt. Her mind didn't allow her to place the familiar clothing, as if it knew, if she knew who just stumbled out of the barn, she'd break. And when she saw the face, she did.

Her knees were scraped and cut against the hard ground, but she didn't notice or care. She could feel Mason and Toby trembling against her back, and she knew they were devastated just like everyone else.

 _That can't be her._

The walker stumbled closer.

 _That can't be her. We searched for her._

The walker snarled and stared them all down, almost accusingly.

 _That can't be her. We had a trail… We were going to find her, we were so close…_

"Sophia?" Carol cried.

Tears rolled down Nye's face.

 _It's her._

"Sophia! Sophia. Oh no. Sophia. Sophia." Carol ran for her deceased daughter, but Daryl reached out and caught her, keeping her from getting attacked by the shell of her child.

No dared move as the walker came closer. No one, but Rick.

As It made It's way through the fallen walkers on the ground, Rick came forward, pulling out his gun, and lining it with It's head.

Even simply watching his back, Nye could see the conflict in him, but he pushed through it, and as It came to be only a couple meters away from him, he pulled the trigger.

It fell to the ground. _Sophia_ fell to the ground.

It was all over, they were too late.


	11. Almost

**So, I have two more chapters that are ready to post. Only problem is, is that after those are posted, we're going on hiatus. Why? Well the platform I use for writing has decided to say "Fuck you. You can't write anymore." So, yeah.**

 **On a lighter note. Who's already done their Halloween shopping!? I am! Ha ha, kidding... _I'm never done._**

 **...And I hope I'm not the only one... Anyway, please review! (I haven't gotten one since chapter eight)**

* * *

For a stretch, the only sounds were Carol's sobs.

None of them seemed able to move, too grief stricken by the loss of Sophia to simply get up and leave.

"Don't look. Don't look." Daryl tried warning the grieving mother. But Carol ignored him, pushing him off her and marching away.

And as Carol's sobs became quieter as she got further away, Beth's cries got louder as she moved away from her family, and closer to the bodies.

 _But, I guess some of those bodies_ are _her family._

"Wait wait wait wait." Rick tried stopping her, but she shrugged him off.

The girl shakily crouched down near a female walker, pushing the male walker that had fallen on top of it off. As she gently rolled the walker onto its back, she cried harder at the sight of the torn open face.

"Ma…" Beth whispered brokenly.

But to everyone's shock, the walker opened its eyes, immediately snarling and reaching for Beth.

Almost everyone ran over to help the screaming girl, successfully pulling her away from it. As it snarled up at them, T-Dog tried stomping its head in twice, but it was still reaching for them. That was when Andrea grabbed a sickle by the barn, and swung it at the walker, piercing it through the back of its head, the curved tip poking out of its forehead.

All was silent, but it wasn't calm.

Nye shakily looked behind her shoulder at Mason and Toby, both of which, were leaning against her back, using her as their only support.

"Guys…" She whispered hoarsely, unsure of what to even say.

Neither of them looked up, and that told her all she needed to know. While her kids were two of the strongest and most resilient kids she'd ever met, _this_ just wasn't something they'd bounce back from, not for a while.

"Okay…" She murmured to herself, slowly and carefully getting to her feet. And as their support seemed to vanish, they finally looked up.

"C'mon, we gotta go." She told them, softly.

She slowly helped them stand, being as gentle as possible, and started steering them away, following the group, who had started making their way back before them.

"We've been out. We've been combing these woods looking for her and she was in there all along?" Shane's voice carried, pounding on Nye's developing migraine.

"Leave us alone." Maggie barked at him, helping her father along.

"Hey, Shane, just stop, man." Rick tried, putting a hand on Shane's shoulder, which he shrugged off.

"You knew and you kept it from us." Shane continued his accusation.

"I didn't know." Hershel told them, sounding broken.

"That's bullshit. I think y'all knew." Shane raged.

"We didn't know!" Maggie snapped at him.

"Why was she there?!" Shane yelled back.

The group reached the house, the Greene's going up the porch.

Hershel turned around, staring down Shane "…Otis put those people in the barn. Maybe he found her and put her in there before he was killed."

Shane took a step closer to the Greene's. "You expect me to believe that? What do I look like? Do I look like an idiot to you?"

 _YES_

"Shane, hey hey hey." Rick warned him, and Nye wondered why he even tried anymore.

"I don't care what you believe!" Hershel snapped.

"Everybody just calm down." Rick tried keeping the peace.

"Get him off my land!" Hershel yelled.

As more and more people started yelling, Nye sighed, feeling more exhausted than she ever remembered being. Turning the boys around, away from the fighting, she steered them to the van.

Sliding the door open, she nodded to them to get inside. They silently did so.

In the back sat an airbed and an abundance of blankets and pillows, all of which she quickly set up for them.

"Do… You want to talk about it?" She softly asked them as they all laid down.

They stayed silent for a while, but Mason broke the silence.

"I knew she was dead."

Nye froze, looking at Mason in shock, before shaking her head. "No. No you didn't-"

"Yeah. I did." He replied solemnly.

Nye swallowed thickly, unsure of what to say, as this was the first time Mason's bluntness had truly stumped her.

With a reigned sigh, she gently pulled the blanket over them, estimating they'd have at least an hour to rest while the graves were being dug.

…

There was no telling when she fell asleep, but all too soon she was getting jolted awake by a knock on the back window.

As she looked out, she was met with the sight of a solemn redneck.

Feeling too tired to be angry with him at the moment, she opened the door.

He shuffled his feet, glancing back at the RV with a sharpness in his eyes, before looking back at Nye.

"They're ready." He told her, voice rumbling lowly.

She blinked owlishly for a moment, her tired mind trying to catch up with the present. And when it did, she frowned softly, turning to the boys and gently waking them.

They all stayed silent as they made their way to the graves, and it stayed that way through the entire service.

Nye stood, staring on with lifeless eyes as she absently ran her fingers through Mason and Toby's hair. And it all came crashing down in that moment.

As the group dispersed, Daryl not even sparing them a glance where they stood next to him, her mind was starting to let her feel something.

But it wasn't sadness, or grief…

"Head to the RV…" Nye hoarsely whispered to the boys.

"What are you gonna do?" Toby meekly asked, speaking up for the first time since the barn.

She didn't answer, just gave the best reassuring smile she could muster.

Then, her feet were moving. She had no idea where they were taking her until she reached the van. Without any thought, she swung the door open, quickly getting in the drivers seat and just sitting there for a minute in silence.

And that was when she realized what she was feeling.

Anger. Pure, unadulterated _anger._

Later, she would be thankful no one had been around at the time, because they would have seen her completely unhinged.

From the outside, her yells and cursing were muffled, leaving it up to the imagination of whoever might have been unlucky enough to pass by. Her fists slammed down on the steering wheel over and over, the pain from her left arm, as a result, only fueled her anger.

After a solid three minutes into her tantrum, she started to lose steam, and that was when she noticed her face felt wet, and that her yells had slowly started devolving into sobs.

She hiccupped, and tried wiping away the evidence of her tears, feeling as though she had no right to cry like this, not when she had yet to see Carol cry a single tear after the barn.

 _God, we tried, we tried_ _ **so hard**_ _-_

"Nye!"

She snapped her head up, watching in worry as Glenn ran down the porch and to her van.

"G-Glenn? What's-" Nye started, as she swung the door open and moved her legs out.

"There's something wrong with Beth!" He told her, panting between words.

After he dragged the distraught woman inside and up to Beth's room, Nye finally was able to get a grip on her mental state.

"Sweetie, can you hear me?" Maggie softly asked her prone sister, before turning to Nye. "What's wrong with her?"

Nye gulped, stepping closer towards the teenage girl. "I-I think she's in shock. Where's you're dad?"

"We can't find him anywhere." Glenn told her solemnly.

"…I'll get Rick." Lori muttered, startling Nye, who hadn't noticed she was there.

Soon, everyone was caught up on the situation. The situation being that Hershel was missing, and everything seemed to be falling apart.

And after Nye heard Rick and Glenn planned on leaving to search for the older man, she knew they weren't going alone.

"I'm going." Nye stated as she walked up to Rick.

He looked at her, an emotion Nye refused to acknowledge as worry shined in his eyes.

"You sure about that?" He asked, and she was grateful he hadn't completely shot her down.

Not entirely trusting her voice, she nodded. With the anger still humming in her veins, she needed an outlet for it, before she did or said something she'd regret.

And with his consent, that left one thing left to do.

"Ace, Smalls." She said softly a she leaned into the RV.

Toby looked up at her, but Mason stared down at the table.

She slowly walked towards them, putting a hand on their shoulders.

"I'm… Me, Glenn and Rick are going on a run."

That was when Mason finally looked up, and she internally crumbled at the sight of tears welling in his eyes.

"B-but you're _hurt…"_ He croaked, and Nye was an inch away from deciding to stay.

"You _can't-"_

But before Toby could add to that, she pulled them both into a bone crushing hug, knowing that if either of them said _one_ more word, she wouldn't be able to leave.

"Stay safe, don't wonder off, and if anything happens…" She paused. "Get Daryl."

She wasn't naïve, she knew Daryl looked out for the kids in the group more than he looked out for anyone else. The trouble he went through for Sophia being proof. So even though she was less than pleased with him at the moment, she trusted he'd keep Mason and Toby safe.

… _When the hell did trusting Daryl become so easy?_

…

After pilling into the car, Rick driving, Glenn in shotgun, and Nye in the back, everything was silent.

Just like the rest of the day.

Watching the trees fly by through the window quickly made Nye sick, and simply sitting with her thoughts lead her to thinking about Sophia. So, what did that leave her with?

"Maggie said she loves me." Glenn blurted out.

Whereas Nye gaped like a fish, staring at him wide-eyed, Rick just nodded calmly.

Glenn scoffed at himself. "She d-doesn't mean it. I mean, she can't. I mean- well… She-she's upset or confused. She's probably feeling, like-"

"I think she's smart enough to know what she's feeling." Rick cut him off.

"Besides, who wouldn't love you?" Nye added from the back, pausing in thought afterwards. "Well, if we're talking romantically, then not me, or Lori, or Andrea, or-"

"Okay! I get it." Glenn huffed before shaking his head. "You know what? She wants to be in love, so she's-she needs something to-to, like- to hold onto."

"Glenn, it's pretty obvious to everyone Maggie loves you, and not just because you're one of the last men standing. So what's the problem?" Rick cut him off again.

 _That was such a dad moment Sheriff._ Nye thought with something close to a giggle.

"…I didn't say it back." Glenn finally revealed.

Nye stared at him in disbelief. "Oh you're _dead_ when we get back. That or you're not _getting' any_ until you fix it."

Glenn sputtered, turning in his seat to stare at her. "I've never had a woman say that to me before." He defended. "Except my mom, of course, and my sisters. But with Maggie, it's different. We barely know each other. What-what does she really know about me? Nothing. We're practically strangers. But I-I didn't know what to do with it. I just stood there like a jerk."

"Hey. Hey, this is a good thing, something we don't get enough of these days. Enjoy it. And when we get back, return the favor. It's not like she's going anywhere." Rick assured him.

"Remember the alphabet method when you "return the favor"." Nye randomly added.

Glenn looked back at her, and Rick glanced at her through the mirror.

"T-the _what?"_ Glenn asked.

Nye grinned, silently holding up her pointer and middle finger in a peace sign, before moving them to her mouth and moving her tongue, starting with A and reaching C before Glenn realized what she was doing.

He flushed red and sputtered at her, while Rick just shook his head.

She cackled and settled back in her seat. She could almost make herself believe she was okay.

Almost.

…

It didn't take long for sitting in silence to become too boring to handle, especially for two kids.

"What… do you want to do?" Toby asked, rolling a random marble he found, back and forth on the table in the RV.

"…Beat the shit out of something." Mason grumbled.

Toby blinked. "Literal, or metaphorical?"

"Yes."

Toby sighed, before brightening. "We could play with Carl?" See if we could barrow some of his comics to-"

Mason shot up, an idea lighting up his eyes. "Hunting."

Toby's eyes narrowed. "Hunting? With _what?_ "

Mason shrugged, already heading to the door. "Knives, I guess."

Toby shook his head, standing up and getting between Mason and the door. "What!? You want us to go out there, alone, with just _knives?"_

Again, Mason shrugged, offering no further explanation.

Toby huffed, getting fed up with his brother. "Aren't you supposed to be the older, more mature one?"

Mason stared at the ground. "Aren't you supposed to be the one that's not _broken?"_

Toby froze, swallowing whatever anger he had down, which was pretty easy. "What has Nye told you a _million_ times?"

Mason stayed silent, thinking back on the exact same conversation Toby was.

" _You're not broken." Nye said, forcefully. "You're not "special" either. You're_ _ **fine**_ _. Just the way you are."_

" _But the doctors-"_

" _ **Fuck**_ _the doctors. There's nothing wrong with you." Nye assured him before scoffing. "Hell, the only friend I had growing up was autistic. It doesn't mean you're broken Ace, and if anyone tells you otherwise, punch them in the face._

Mason got detention a week later for walking up to their biology teacher after class and punching him in the face. Nye had been so proud.

…

They reached the bar, and right as Nye grabbed the door handle to get out, Glenn spoke.

"Rick? I know about Lori," He started softly."

Nye blinked, wondering what he was talking about.

"…her being pregnant."

Nye's jaw dropped.

 _Shit! I should have given her that fucking condom!_

"I got her those pills."

… _Wait, what pills?_

"I figured." Rick told him, swinging the front door open and getting out.

Glenn and Nye followed his example.

"Hey, I'm sorry I kept it from you." Glenn rushed out as he and the strangely silent Nye caught up to the sheriff.

"Don't be. You did what you thought was right." Rick said.

Nye put her left hand up to her ear. "You hear that? There was a silent emphasis on _thought."_

Glenn wasn't amused.

When they reached the doors Rick kicked them in, which even the drama loving Nye thought was over the top.

And there he was, sitting at the bar counter, rolling an empty glass in his hands. And it obviously hadn't been empty the whole time.

"Hershel." Rick called to him.

"Who's with you?" The man asked without turning around.

"Glenn and Nye." Rick answered.

"Maggie sent him?" Hershel asked, and they started making their way further into the bar.

"He volunteered. He's good like that. Same with Nye." Rick told him, waking up and standing beside the man. "How many have you had?" He asked softly.

"Not enough." Hershel slurred slightly.

"Let's finish this up back at home." Rick offered, and when he didn't get a response, he told him the truth. "Beth collapsed, is in some sort of state."

Hershel looked to Rick, worry for his daughter clear in his eyes, but he still seemed adamant on staying.

"Must be in shock. I think you are too." Rick finished.

"Maggie's with her?" Hershel asked.

"Yeah, but Beth needs you." Rick told him.

"What could I do? She needs her mother. Or rather to mourn, like she should've done weeks ago. I robbed her of that. I see that now." Hershel lamented, and took another drink.

"You thought there was a cure. Can't blame yourself for holding out for hope." Rick tried.

"Hope?" Hershel mused. "When I first saw you running across my field with your boy in your arms, I had little hope he would survive."

"But he did."

"He did. Even though we lost Otis. Your man Shane made it back and we saved your boy. That was the miracle that proved to me miracles do exist. Only it was a sham, a bait and switch. I was a fool, Rick, and you people saw that. My daughters deserve better than that." Hershel took another drink.

Nye glared at the ground, before her eyes moved up to the back of Hershel's head. "Your daughters deserve their _father."_

Rick and Glenn watched her as she stepped closer, glaring holes into the back of the man's head.

"Every girl deserves her father. And every father owes their little girl their love and _support."_

While she was trying to get through to Hershel, it became clear to the three men that what she was saying held a deeper meaning.

But, Hershel only poured himself another drink.

Rick, Glenn and Nye moved back towards the entrance to talk.

"So what do we do? Just wait for him to pass out?" Glenn asked.

"Just go." Hershel said, having heard his question. "Just go!"

"I promised Maggie I'd bring you home safe." Rick told him.

Hershel chuckled. "Like you promised that little girl?"

Nye scowled at the ground, bringing her right hand up and holding her aching left arm.

"So what's your plan?" Rick demanded, marching up to Hershel. "Finish that bottle? Drink yourself to death and leave your girls alone?"

Hershel finally got up, turning to them in anger. "Stop telling me how to care for my family, my farm. You people are like a plague! I do the Christian thing, give you shelter, and you _destroy_ it all!"

"The world was already in bad shape when we met." Rick growled, stepping closer.

"And you take no responsibility! You're supposed to be their leader!" Hershel yelled.

"Well, I'm here _now_ , aren't I?!"

Hershel paused. "Yes… Yes. Yes, you are." He said slowly, going back and siting down at the counter, drinking more from his glass.

"Now come on. Your girls need you now more than ever." Rick tried, and put a hand on Hershel's shoulder.

He shrugged it off, though. "I didn't want to believe you. You told me there was no cure, that these people were dead, not sick. I chose not to believe that. But when Shane shot Lou in the chest and she just kept coming, that's when I knew what an ass I'd been, that Annette had been dead long ago and I was feeding a rotten corpse! That's when I knew there was no hope. And when that little girl came out of the barn, the look on your face- I knew you knew it too. Right? There is no hope. And you know it now, like I do. Don't you? There is no hope for any of us."

Nye stared down at the ground.

 _He's wrong. There is hope. It's named Carl, Mason and Toby. Hell, it's even growing inside of Lori right now. There's hope so long as we can keep the future alive, and not make the same mistakes._

If only she had the courage to say it out loud.

Rick snapped. "Look, I'm done. I'm not doing this anymore, cleaning up after you. You know what the truth is? Nothing has changed. Death is death. It's always been there, whether it's from a heart attack, cancer, or a walker. What's the difference? You didn't think it was hopeless before, did you? Now there are people back at home trying to hang on. They need us, even if it's just to give them a reason to go on, even if we don't believe it ourselves." He rubbed his jaw. "You know what? This-this isn't about what we believe anymore. It's about _them_."

Nye watched in apprehension, waiting for Hershel to say something. And she grinned as he downed the last shot, and placed the glass down.

He was coming with them.

The doors opened. "Son of a bitch. They're alive." An unfamiliar voice said.

 _ **Fuck.**_

There was a tense silence, filled with nothing but stares.

Until, the two men came in, and made themselves comfortable.

The one who had spoken was a man who Nye would guess was only a little older than her. He made his way to one of the tables near the counter, taking a seat and pouring himself a glass of liquid courage.

The second man, who was heavier set than the first, took a seat at the bar, much to Nye's displeasure.

"I'm Dave." The first one spoke up, confidently. "That scrawny-looking douche bag there is Tony." He said, nodding to his friend, who, Nye noticed was watching her.

Her gut told her to book it out of there. But she couldn't. She couldn't abandon Rick, Glenn and Hershel.

"Eat me, Dave." The second man- _Tony,_ said back.

"Hey, maybe someday I will." Dave snarked before turning back to Rick. "We met on I-95 coming out of Philly. Damn shit-show that was."

Nye would feel sympathetic, only if Tony wasn't eyeing her as subtly as he could manage. Which wasn't subtle at all.

"I'm Glenn. It's nice to meet some new people." Glenn introduced himself from behind the bar.

Nye turned her head and glared at Glenn, silently telling him to shut up. Silently, because she didn't want to bring any unnecessary attention to herself.

She'd come this far without running into people this new world made into monsters, and she didn't want to be introduced to any of them anytime soon.

"Rick Grimes." Rick plainly introduced, and Nye had a feeling he was getting the same gut feeling as her, much o her relief.

Dave and Tony both looked to her, wanting her to tell them her name, and from the looks Tony was giving, probably her bra size too.

She scowled, tapping her fingers against the bar and looking to Rick. The look she got back told her everything. No, he didn't trust them, but it's best to act natural.

She sighed through her nose before turning to Dave, avoiding Tony's gaze. "Nye."

Dave raised an amused brow, before turning to Hershel, much to her relief.

"How about you, pal? Have one?"

"I just quit." Hershel told him, referring to the alcohol.

"You've got a unique sense of timing, my friend." Dave chuckled.

"His name's Hershel." Rick told him. "He lost people today, a lot of them."

Dave' smile fell. "I'm truly sorry to hear that." He raised his glass. "To better days and new friends. And to our dead… May they be in a better place."

Everyone but Nye and Hershel held a glass, so, without much thought she grabbed the nearest bottle and started drinking straight from it. Ignoring the impressed looks from the two men, as that wasn't her intention in the least, she just wanted to get hammered after what felt like the longest day ever.

But as Dave leaned over to set his glass down, they tensed at the sight of a gun in his waistband.

Dave noticed the stares, and pulled the gun out, making Nye subtly reach for hers.

He held the gun, looking down at it with an imperceptible look in his eyes. "Not bad, huh? I got it off a cop."

 _Wrong thing to say, dick-weasel._

"I'm a cop." Rick replied.

"This one was already dead." Dave clarified.

"You fellas are a long way from Philadelphia." Rick said, leadingly.

"It feels like we're a long way from anywhere." Dave replied.

"Well, what drove you south?" Rick asked.

"Well, I can tell you it wasn't the weather. I must've dropped 30 lbs. In sweat alone down here." Dave joked, and Nye got tenser.

 _They're evading._

"I wish." Tony muttered.

"No, first it was D.C. I heard there might be some kind of refugee camp, but the roads were so jammed, we never even got close. We decided to get off the highways, into the sticks, keep hauling ass. Every group we came across had a new rumor about a way out of this thing." Dave told them.

"One guy told us there was the coast guard sitting in the gulf, sending ferries to the islands." Tony spoke up.

"The latest was a rail yard in Montgomery running trains to the middle of the country. Kansas, Nebraska." Dave added.

"Nebraska?" Glenn asked.

But, Nye could see it. Hell, thinking more and more about it, Nebraska sounded _perfect._

"Low population, lots of guns." Tony told him.

"Kinda makes sense." Glenn muttered.

"Kinda? Nebraska would be like a fucking sanctuary." Nye piped up.

Dave grinned at her, and in another life, she might have found it hot. "Ever been to Nebraska, kid?" He asked Glenn. "A reason they call 'em Flyover States."

Tony chuckled, and as it trickled off, it grew quiet once again. Before Dave broke the silence, and the calming atmosphere.

"How about you guys?"

Nye tensed again, slowly looking sideways at Rick, but he seemed calm enough.

"Fort Benning, eventually."

Dave's face fell, but Nye couldn't tell if it was genuine or not. "I hate to piss in your cornflakes, officer, but, um… We ran across a grunt who was stationed at Benning. He said the place was overrun by lamebrains."

Nye hung her head. Either these two were lying and the four were in potential trouble. Or, Fort Benning truly was lost.

So, the question is, which is the lesser of two evils.

"Wait, Fort Benning is gone? Are you for real?" Glenn asked in shock, looking between the four fearfully.

"Sadly, I am. Oddly, the truth is there is no way out of this mess. Just keep going from one pipe dream to the next, praying one of these mindless freaks doesn't grab a hold of you when you sleep." Dave monologued.

"If you sleep." Tony murmured.

Dave suddenly looked between the four "Yeah, it doesn't look like you guys are hanging your hats here. You holed up somewhere else?"

Nye's heart skipped a beat.

"…Not really." Rick calmly told him.

"Those your cars out front?" Dave suddenly asked.

"Yeah. Why?" Glenn said, cluelessly, and Nye could have hit him.

"We're living in ours. Those look kinda empty, clean. Where's all your gear?" Dave pushed.

"We're with a larger group out scouting, thought we could use a drink." Hershel covered.

"A drink? Hershel, I thought you quit." Dave joked, and again, with their similar sense in humor, maybe in another life, he and Nye could have been friends.

But not in this one.

"Well, we're thinking of setting up around here. Is it-is it safe?" Dave continued.

"It can be, although I have killed a couple of walkers around here." Glenn told them.

"Walkers? That what you call them?" Dave asked.

"Yep." Nye said, trying to seem less tense.

"That's good. I like that. I like that better than lamebrains." Dave muttered.

"More succinct." Tony added.

Dave rolled his eyes. "Okay, Tony went to college."

"Two years." Tony defended like going to college was some embarrassment.

"So what-so what, you guys set up on the outskirts or something? That new development?"

The more they questioned, the tenser everyone got.

Tony got up, walking to the other side of the bar. "Trailer park or something?" Tony guessed.

"A farm?"

 _No. No,_ _ **fuck.**_

The looks on their faces said it all. And Dave knew he guessed right.

"Old McDonald had a farm…" He randomly started singing. "You got a farm?"

Nye looked up as she heard what sounded like water spilling on the ground, but when she saw it was Tony taking a leak in the corner, she grimaced and looked back to Dave.

"Is it safe?" Tony asked, still going.

"It's gotta be." Dave said, not looking away from Rick for a second. "You got food, water?"

"You got more cooz? Ain't had a piece of ass in weeks." Tony added.

Nye glared and settled her hand on her pistol. She knew her gut was right, and that meant keeping these men away from the farm no matter what.

 _Who the hell knows what they would do with the women._

Nye's blood grew cold.

… _Or the kids._

"Listen, pardon my friend. City kids, they got no tact." Dave turned to Nye. "No disrespect." Turning back to Rick and Glenn, he continued. "So listen, Glenn-"

"We've said enough." Rick cut him off.

"Well, hang on a second. This farm, it sounds pretty sweet. Don't it sound sweet, Tony?"

"Yeah, real sweet."

"How about a little southern hospitality? We got some buddies back at camp, been having a real hard time. I don't see why you can't make room for a few more. We can pool our resources, our manpower." Dave bargained.

"Look, I'm sorry. That's not an option." Rick cut him off.

Dave and Tony exchanged looks. "Doesn't sound like it'd be a problem." Dave muttered.

"I'm sorry. We can't." Hershel said.

"We can't take in any more." Rick added.

Dave chuckled bitterly. "You guys are something else. I thought, you know, I thought we were friends. We got people we gotta look out for too."

"We don't know anything about you." Rick told him.

"No, that's true. You don't know anything about us. You don't know what we've had to go through out there, the things we've had to do. I bet you've had to do some of those same things yourself. Am I right?"

Nye watched in worry as Rick stayed deathly silent.

"'Cause ain't nobody's hands clean in what's left of this world. We're all the same. So come on, let's, let's take a nice friendly hayride to this farm and we'll get to know each other." Dave tried again.

Rick shook his head. "That's not gonna happen."

"Rick-"

"This is bullshit." Tony cut off Dave.

"Calm down." Rick warned him.

"Don't tell me to calm down. Don't ever tell me to calm down. I'll shoot you four assholes in the head and take your damn farm!" Tony raged.

"Rick…?" Nye murmured and stood, asking what to do.

Dave stood too. "Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa. Relax. Take it easy. Nobody's killing anybody. Nobody's shooting anybody. Right, Rick?" Dave asked, hopping over the bar, standing closer to Nye now. He slowly put his gun on the counter. "Look. We're just friends having a drink. That's all. _Now_ where's the good stuff, huh?" He clapped his hands and started looking under the bar. "Good stuff, good stuff, good stuff. Let's see."

As Rick put his hand on his gun, Dave stood back up with a bottle. "Hey, look at that. That'll work." Dave opened the bottle. "You gotta understand. We can't stay out there. You know what it's like."

Rick nodded. "Yeah, I do. But the farm is too crowded as is. I'm sorry. You'll have to keep looking."

"Keep looking." Dave mocked. "Where do you suggest we do that?"

Rick shrugged. "I don't know. I hear Nebraska's nice."

Dave chuckled, but it was bitter. "Nebraska… This guy."

And suddenly, there was blood splattered on the side of Nye's face. Dave flew back, with a hole in his head.

Before anyone could react, Rick spun around, shooting Tony twice. And as he slid against the wall, already dead, Rick shot him in the head one last time, much to Nye's confusion.

Silence rang heavy once again, and as a thick drop of Dave's blood slid down her cheek, all Nye could do was think

 _I want my kids._

* * *

 **You have no idea how many times I accidently typed 'Toby' instead of 'Tony' this chapter.**


	12. His name's Randall

**Hey! Just wanted to give a quick thanks to everyone who's favorited followed and reviewed, you guys are awesome and I love every single one of you!**

 **And while I swear to never be one of those authors that holds their story hostage until they get reviews, I would really love and appreciate some :D**

 **(And incase you didn't notice, I changed the summary. The last one was more of a place holder, but the new one is a conversation that will happen in a future chapter)**

* * *

"Holy shit." Glenn whispered faintly, unable to his eyes off of the body that was once Tony.

Nye swallowed thickly, trying to dislodge the lump in her throat, and without taking her own eyes off Tony, she shakily pulled her inhaler out of her pocket and took a quick puff.

"Hershel?" Rick turned to the older man, the two having a stare down for what seemed to last forever.

But, Hershel nodded. "Let's head back."

Nye felt herself deflate, some of her tense muscles relaxing.

After cautiously taking the guns and ammo from Dave and Tony's cooling bodies, they all headed for the door.

Nye cocked her head, furrowing her brows and blinking owlishly in confusion as she heard something outside the bar. In her state of shock she had settled into, she was unable to think straight, all she knew was the sound wasn't from a walker, in fact, it sounded rather familiar and brought on a strange sense of calm with it.

"Car. Car." Rick rushed out as he heard it, signaling for Nye, Hershel and Glenn to get down.

 _Car? Why're we hiding from a-_

Some of the haze in her mind lifted, and she dropped to the ground like the other three.

 _Right, car means people. People could mean…_

Her eyes strayed to the two cooling bodies behind them.

She cringed when they heard the car stop, followed by the doors swinging open.

"Dave? Tony? They said over here?" A voice of another man sounded from outside.

"Yeah." Answered another.

"I'm telling you, man, I heard shots." Voiced a third.

Nye clenched her teeth. _How many of those fuckers are there?_

"I saw roamers, two streets over. Might be more around here."

"We gotta get out of here."

"Dave! Tony!"

"Shut up, you idiot! You wanna attract 'em?"

"Just stick close. We're gonna find 'em."

She breathed harshly through her nose, glancing to her left at Rick, silently asking what the _hell_ they were gonna do.

…

"Mason, Toby, it's time for dinner." Carol's soft voice called out to the boys holed up in the RV.

Toby leaned his head through an open window. "We're not hungry."

Carol sighed. "Nye wouldn't want you two to wait out here for her. She'd want you to go inside where it's warm and eat something."

Toby looked like he was considering what she was saying, but Mason spoke up from the inside.

"How the hell do you know what she'd want?"

Toby cringed, and started to apologize, but Carol stopped him.

"I know, because she's a mom."

Mason joined Toby and peaked out the window.

"And as a mom, she's always thinking of you two, before anything else." Carol finished hoarsely.

The two traded looks, before disappearing from the window, only to come out the door seconds later.

After leading them inside, Carol went to help with setting the table.

"They should've been back by now." Andrea said.

"They just got holed up somewhere." Shane assured them.

Both Mason and Toby scowled heavily at him when they saw he took up the seat at the head of the table. The seat he had no right being in.

"We'll, we'll head out first thing in the morning." He told the room at large.

Following everyone else's example, the two quickly got seated. Toby sitting to the right of Dale, and Mason on the other side, sitting to the left of Carl.

"Carl," Shane got the boy's attention. "I want you to keep your head up, okay? Your old man, he's the toughest son of a-"

"No cussing in the house." Patricia cut him off.

Toby gave Mason a quick and firm look.

"Sorry." Shane quickly amended.

"Lori, dinner." Carol called up the stairs.

"She's not in there." Maggie told her.

"Where is she?" Dale asked, and everyone fell silent.

"Carl, when's the last time you saw your mom?" Shane asked.

"This afternoon."

"She was worried about Rick, asked me to look in on Carl." Andrea told them.

"She went after them?" Dale asked in worry.

"She didn't say that." Andrea added.

Mason and Toby shared a worried look with Carl. It was bad enough that Nye was gone, but _Lori_ went after them too?

"Nobody panic. Gonna be around here somewhere." Shane told everyone as they all started getting up to search.

…

Rick stiffly stood, looking out the window to see if the men were gone. But, they sadly weren't.

"Why won't they leave?" Glenn whispered harshly.

"Would you?" Hershel asked him.

"We can't sit here any longer. Let's head out the back and make a run to the car." Rick whispered.

But as they started to stand, there was gunfire.

They all dropped back down to the ground, causing Nye to wince when she put pressure on her left arm.

"What happened?"

"Roamers, I nailed 'em."

"They disappeared but their car's still there."

'I cleared those buildings. You guys get this one?"

"No."

"Me neither."

"We're looking for Dave and Tony and no one checks the damn bar?"

Nye slapped her hand over her mouth to keep from gasping.

The footsteps seemed ten times louder than they actually were as the men approached. And as they started opening the door, Glenn acted on pure instinct. Throwing himself in front of it, and closing it on the men.

"What?"

"Someone pushed it shut."

Nye bit her lip hard enough to draw blood.

"There's someone in there. Yo, is someone in there?"

They all stayed silent.

"Yo, if someone's in there, we don't want no trouble. We're just looking for our friends."

Once again, Nye almost felt guilty.

"What do we do?"

"Bum rush the door?"

 _Shit._

"No, we don't know how many are there. Just relax."

"We don't want any trouble. We're just looking for our friends. If something happened, tell us. This place is crawling with corpses. If you can help us not get killed, I'd appreciate it." The man called again.

"Dude, you're bugging. I'm telling you nobody's in there."

"Someone grabbed the door. If they're in there, they might know where Dave and Tony are."

That's when Rick snapped. "They drew on us!"

"Rick…" Nye moaned in disbelief.

"Dave and Tony in there? They alive?"

Nye shook her head, silently begging Rick to _stop._

"No."

 _Damnit, Rick…_

"They killed Dave and Tony."

"Come on, man, let's go."

"No, I'm not leaving, I'm not telling Jane. I'm not gonna go back and tell them that Dave and Tony got shot by some assholes in a bar."

Rick wasn't having it. "Your friends drew on us! They gave us no choice! I'm sure we've all lost enough people, done things we wish we didn't have to, but it's like that now. You know that! So let's just chalk this up to what it was wrong place, wrong-"

Gunshots rang out and glass shattered over them. Rick stood and started firing back.

"Get outta here! Go!"

Nye, Glenn and Hershel ran further into the bar, before having to drop and hide from the gunfire.

Hershel slid his shotgun over to Glenn, and Nye checked how much ammo she had.

 _Four. Four rounds and a monkey wrench._

She'd have to make do.

…

After no one was able to find Lori, Carol went to the person she thought they should have gone to first.

"We can't find Lori." Carol panted after running up to Daryl's camp. "And the others aren't back yet either."

"Yeah. That dumb bitch must've gone off lookin' for 'em." Daryl replied.

"What?" Carol asked, taken aback by what he had said.

"Yeah, she asked me to go. I told her I was done being' an errand boy."

"And you didn't say anything?" She asked in shock.

He just continued to poke at his fire.

She turned and started to leave, but before she passed his tent, she stopped, and turned back.

"Don't do this. Please." Carol begged. "I've already lost my girl."

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say. He stood and turned on her.

"That wasn't my problem neither." He growled.

He started to walk off towards the woods, but Carol had one last straw to grasp.

"Nye went with them."

For the first time, what she said actually seemed to get to him. He stopped walking, and she could see his back tense.

So, she kept going. "You both try to deny it, but I think you two are the same in some ways. And because of that, no matter how much you want to ignore it, you two have started to care about each other."

He was stiff, and Carol didn't know if it was because he was worried about the missing members of their group, or if he was pissed at her.

"Even Mason and Toby see it." Carol told him, hoping the last thing she was about to say would do the trick. "If it were you out there, Nye would already be out searching."

Finally, Daryl started moving…

In the direction of the woods.

Carol deflated.

…

"Hey! We all know this is not gonna end well! There's nothing in it for any of us! You guys just, just back off, no one else gets hurt!" Rick shouted to the men as he reloaded his gun.

There was no response, and after a couple of seconds, Rick nodded to the back door. Glenn quickly ran over and opened the door, going through it to the back room.

Nye looked to Rick, and he gave her the same signal. She nodded, running low to the ground after Glenn.

As she took her first step on the stairs to the dark room, the wood creaked, causing Glenn to whirl around and aim his shotgun at her.

She gave him a small glare and batted the shotgun down.

They spotted the doors leading to outside, only problem was, the doorknob was already turning.

The other group reached it first.

Glenn lifted the shotgun and shot out one of the doors windows, making the men retreat for the time being.

"Glenn! Nye!" Rick called in worry from the inside of the bar.

"I-I'm all right. I'm all right." Glenn stuttered.

"M-me two." Nye added.

Once again, there were footsteps, causing Glenn to now point his shotgun at Hershel, who put his hands up in mock surrender.

"Sorry. Sorry." Glenn whispered.

"Rick wants you to try for the car." Hershel told them.

"Try?" Glenn asked in disbelief.

"You'll try and succeed. I'll cover you." Hershel assured him.

"That's a great plan." Glenn told him, sarcasm seeping into his words.

"I can-" Nye tried, only to be cut off.

" **No** " Both told her.

"You're already having problem with your asthma." Glenn added.

"He's right. Let him do this Niagara." Hershel told her.

Her eyes locked with his, and her brows furrowed at the use of her full name.

But, she knew they wouldn't let her do it no matter how much she argued, so she moved out of Glenn's way.

He swung the doors open and peaked around, checking to make sure he was clear. He stepped out, Nye and Hershel slowly following behind, when there was a gunshot.

Nye couldn't tell where the bullet hit, all she knew was Glenn grunted and hit the ground.

"Glenn?!" Nye hoarsely whispered in worry as Hershel shot down the man who fired at Glenn.

She ran down to Glenn, checking him over, and nearly falling down in relief when she saw he was okay.

"What happened?" Rick asked as he caught up to them.

"He fired. He must've hit Glenn. He's behind the dumpster. Doesn't look like he's moving." Hershel told Rick, worry clear in his voice.

Nye almost rolled her eyes, and instead decided to give Glenn a kick in his side, causing him to grunt.

"Stop being so dramatic, Speedy."

"He hit? Is he hit?" Rick quietly asked Nye as he approached.

Nye shook her head, her and Rick coming to a crouch besides Glenn.

"It's all right. The car's right there." Rick assured him and Nye both.

"Okay." Glenn breathed.

"We're almost home. You good?" Rick asked.

"I'm good." Glenn said in a surprisingly sturdy voice.

Rick looked to Nye.

She nodded a couple times. "Totally gonna have PTSD, but otherwise, lets do this."

Rick looked around before nodding. "Let's go."

But as soon as they stood, gunfire pelted the dumpster they were hiding behind.

"Get back." Rick ordered them.

They looked up at the roof of the building across the street, spotting the sniper, who only looked to be in his teens. A car drove up in front of the building.

"Let's get out of here! Roamers all over the place! Hurry up! We gotta get out of here!" A voice called up to the sniper from inside the car.

"What about Sean?" The teen asked.

"They shot him. We gotta go. Roamers are everywhere."

"We're leaving?

"Jump! Hurry up, jump already."

The teen disappeared from the rooftop, jumping down like his group said, but…

His screams rang out, making Nye's stomach roll.

"Dude didn't make it." Glenn murmured.

"Help me! Help help me!" The teen screamed.

"I've gotta go. I've gotta go. I'm sorry!"

To Nye's disgust, the men drove away, leaving the teen to die.

"No no, don't leave! Help me! No! No!"

"Get Hershel." Rick ordered Glenn.

Rick and Nye both ad the same thoughts in mind, to see if they could help the kid.

As they approached, the first thing Nye noticed was his leg, which was impaled on a pointed fence.

The second thing, was his face.

"O-oh my god…" Nye muttered in disbelief.

Rick glanced at her from the screaming kid. "What?"

For a second, Nye only gaped like a fish, unable to form a coherent sentence.

"Rick! Niagara! We have to go now." Hershel and Glenn ran up to them.

"No!" The teen cried.

"I'm sorry, son. We have to go." Hershel told him.

"No no, don't leave me please." The teen begged.

Nye remained silent, seemingly too shocked to say anything.

"We have to go." Hershel said to Rick.

"We can't." Rick told them.

"He was just shooting at us!" Glenn argued.

"He's a kid." Rick snapped back, and that seemed to knock Nye out of it.

"A foster kid."

Rick, Glenn and Hershel stared at her in shock, but she didn't take her eyes off of the teen.

"His name's Randall."

"This place is crawling with walkers!" Glenn continued to argue.

"We can't leave him!" Rick snapped again.

"Rick's right!" Nye finally spoke up.

Hershel check his leg. "The fence went clean through. There's no way we can get the leg off in one piece."

The kid wailed.

"Shut up! Shut up or I will shoot you!" Rick warned him.

"Randall, calm down!" Nye tried.

"That may be the answer. We're not gonna get that leg off without tearing the muscle to shreds. He certainly can't run. He may bleed out." Hershel told Rick.

"Shut up." Glenn told him, and immediately felt bad when the kid moaned in agony. "I'm sorry. Sh-sh shut up. Shut up."

"Maybe we should put him down. I don't wanna see any more killing, but this is cruel." Hershel implored Rick.

"Can't we just take the leg off?" Glenn suggested.

Rick thought about it. "That hatchet still in the car?"

"No no, don't don't-Don't cut my leg off, please." Randall begged. "Please, not my leg."

"Will this cut through the bone?" Rick asked Hershel, pulling out his knife.

"I'll have to sever the ligaments below the kneecap, cut above the tibia he's going to lose his lower leg." Hershel told Rick.

"No, don't. No-"

"When we get clear of here, we're gonna have to find some tinder, cauterize the wound so he doesn't bleed out."

"All right, no choice. Hurry up." Rick told him.

"Nye-" Rick started.

"No! For the last fucking time. I. Was not. A trauma nurse!" She snapped.

 _God! I worked with fucking babies- Whoa…. Okay, that sounded wrong._

"Oh God, oh God. No!"

"Hand me that stick." Hershel ordered as Rick held him down.

"Here."

"No. Ah!"

"Guys, walkers." Glenn warned, and Nye ran to help him. "Hurry up!"

Nye and Glenn started shooting them down, but it didn't seem to be making a dent. And all to soon, Nye's ammo ran out.

"Oh God. They're everywhere." Rick muttered before he started shooting as well. "Hershel, how we doing over there?"

"I need more hands! Easy easy. Niagara!" Hershel yelled.

Nye dropped her gun and ran back to Hershel.

"No, don't don't don't don't cut my leg off please." Randall begged.

"Come on, we gotta go!" Glenn yelled.

"I'm almost out of ammo!" Rick yelled back.

"We don't have much time! Come on, we've gotta go!" Glenn was near hysterical.

"Can't hold 'em off! Hershel, do it now! Come on, Hershel!"

"There is no time!" Hershel yelled back.

"Hershel, come on!"

"Please don't leave me! Please! No! Please don't leave me! Please! Please don't leave me!"

Nye didn't know when, but she had started crying at some point. She felt useless, with no idea how to help. She wanted to save Randall, but she didn't want Rick, Glenn and Hershel to die as well.

…

"What are you doin'?"

Carol jumped and turned, staring Daryl down as he did the same. "Keeping an eye on you."

"Ain't you a peach?" Daryl huffed.

"I'm not gonna let you pull away. You've earned your place." Carol told him.

"If you spent half your time minding your daughter's business instead of sticking your nose in everybody else's, she'd still be alive!" Daryl barked at her, mad she wouldn't just _leave him alone._

"Go ahead." Carol calmly told him.

Daryl drew back. "Go ahead and what?"

She only calmly stared at him.

"I mean just go! I don't want you here!"

She continued to stare.

"You're a real piece of work, lady. What, are you gonna make this about my daddy or some crap like that? Pfft! Man, you know Jack. You're afraid. You're afraid 'cause you're all alone. You got no husband, no daughter. You don't know what to do with yourself. You ain't my problem! Sophia wasn't mine! All you had to do was keep an eye on her!" Daryl raged, and Carol flinched.

They both stood, unsure of what to say now. Then, Carol calmly turned, and left.

Daryl was left standing, huffing and trying to force the guilt down.

" _Well, that went about as well as disco night at an old folks home"_ His mind supplied him with the last voice he wanted to hear right now.

"Stop."

…

"I am so sorry that I left without telling you." Lori said softly to Carl.

Mason and Toby watched from the dinner table, worried about, honestly, everyone.

"You knew." Toby guessed, after seeing the not shocked at all face Mason made when Shane spilled the beans about Lori being pregnant.

Mason grinned. "Glenn's shit with secrets."

Toby suddenly got a thoughtful look on his face. "Hey… It's been two months since the outbreak, right?"

Instead of answering, Mason just shook his head. "You're ten and use words like 'Outbreak'." Mason snorted.

"Eleven." Toby corrected.

Mason paused, doing the math in his head, before nodding. "Yeah, eleven, or almost there." He paused again. "But, if you were already eleven, Nye would have done something."

Toby nodding. "Right, so I guess I'm not there yet."

Mason 'Hmmm'ed'.

"We never had the talk."

Mason and Toby overheard Lori whisper.

Mason sat up. "Nye could talk to him."

Toby hung his head while the adults looked at Mason in amusement.

"I guess having her help would make sense, I mean she delivered babies, right." Andrea asked.

Both boys nodded.

"Wait, did she already give you two the talk." Lori asked.

Toby nodded, turning red.

"We asked, she answered." Mason plainly said.

"You asked…" Toby grumbled, still turning redder.

Whatever she told them, it was clear she spared no detail.

…

The sun was up early the next morning, and the group wasted no time on packing for the search.

To Carol's shock, and joy, Daryl joined the team that was going out.

Upon seeing this, Mason and Toby ran up to him and started blasting off questions.

"Why'd you move your camp?"

"Where do you think they went?"

"You think you'll find them?"

"Do you think Nye's okay?"

Carol was about to step in, afraid Daryl might still be upset and take it out on Mason or Toby. But, once again to her shock (And joy) He calmly answered all their questions, and assured them that 'She's too damn stubborn to get hurt.'.

"Guys." Andrea got everyone's attention as a car drove down the dirt road leading to the Greene's farm.

The car pulled up to the house, and after the engine stopped, Rick was the first to get out.

"Dad!" Carl yelled and hugged Rick.

Mason and Toby walked towards the car, trying to spot Nye through the windows.

Next came out Hershel, followed by Glenn, and as Maggie ran up to them, she ran past Hershel and straight to Glenn.

"Patricia, prepare the shed for surgery." Hershel ordered.

Mason and Toby froze.

But, then the last door swung open, and Nye stepped out.

Covered in blood.

"Oh my God." Carol whispered, putting a hand up to her mouth.

Daryl, for his part, only looked curious, doing a great job hiding his worry.

But despite how she looked, Nye grinned at the sight of her boys, and quickly enveloped them in a hug.

"A-are y-you-" Mason started.

"It's not mine." She assured them, and with that, they melted into her arms.

"Than what the hells the blood from?" Daryl asked.

Nye simply looked over to the back seat of the car.

"Who the hell is that?" T-Dog asked, staring at the blindfolded kid.

"That's Randall." Glenn answered.

Mason tensed in her arms.

…

"We couldn't just leave him behind. He would've bled out, if he lived that long." Rick told the group as they sat and stood at the dinner table.

"It's gotten bad in town." Glenn told them.

Nye came down the stairs, hair still wet from her quick shower to get the blood off. With her arm missing the bandages, she was able to finally put on a long sleeved shirt. Though, they'd have to put them back on, so she had to enjoy the privacy while it lasted.

"What do we do with him?" Andrea asked.

"I repaired his calf muscle as best I can, but he'll probably have nerve damage. Won't be on his feet for at least a week." Hershel told them.

"When he is, we give him a canteen, take him out to the main road, send him on his way." Rick said.

"Nye said she knew him." Glenn added quietly.

Most eyes turned to her. And she sighed. "Randall… was a foster kid, he was in the same home as Mason for a while. And before you ask, no, I don't know what kind of person he is, I've only ever met him once before this."

"Isn't leaving him on his own same as leaving him for the walkers?" Andrea asked.

"He'll have a fighting chance." Rick said.

Nye looked over as the door opened, and despite herself, she smiled to Daryl as he entered.

He nodded in return.

"Just gonna let him go? He knows where we are." Shane argued.

"He was blindfolded the whole way here." Rick told him. "He's not a threat."

"Not a threat. How many of them were there? You killed three of their men, you took one of them _hostage_ , but they just ain't gonna come looking?" Shane challenged.

"They left him for dead. _No_ _one_ is looking." Rick said.

"We should still post a guard." T-Dog added.

"He's out cold right now, will be for hours." Hershel informed them.

"You know what? I'm gonna go get him some flowers and candy." Shane scoffed. "Look at this, folks we back in fantasy land." He started walking towards the door.

"You know, we haven't even dealt with what you did at my barn yet." Hershel called after him. "Let me make this perfectly clear, once and for all This is my farm. Now I wanted you gone. Rick talked me out of it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. So do us both a favor, keep your mouth shut."

Nye grinned. _Damn, Hershel has claws._

Shane shook his head and left.

"Look. We're not gonna do anything about it today. Let's just cool off." Rick told them.

Nye walked out the door, grinning down at Mason and Toby, who were seated on the porch.

"Why'd Shane storm off?" Toby asked.

Nye opened her mouth.

"Cause he's a dick." Mason cut her off.

Nye nodded. The door swung open and Daryl stepped out.

Once again, she smiled. "Thanks."

He looked taken aback. "For what?"

Nye continued to grin, just all and all, happy to still be alive. "I don't know."

He blinked, and suddenly there was guilt in his eyes, from what, she didn't know. He walked off without another word.

"What's up with Daryl?" Mason asked.

Nye shook her head, watching his shrinking figure as he walked away. "I… don't know."


	13. What you are

**Aka, "Nye has the busiest day ever, and can't catch a break"**

 **And I was wrong! There's another chapter I have written after this one. And it's almost twice as long as this one! :D**

 **(Also, Andrea fans should probably back out now)**

* * *

"Nye."

Said woman, looked up and grinned. "Howdy Sheriff."

Rick glanced back at Shane, who was loading up Randall in the back of one of their cars.

It had been a week, Toby was officially eleven, and Randall was deemed well enough to ditch.

"We need something to cover his ears." Rick told her.

Nye shifted on the porch steps. "Kay…? What do you got in mind?"

Rick just gave her a small smile.

A few minutes later, Nye was rummaging in Pumpkin. "You dickweeds better not break this, or I swear to God…"

Pulling back out of Pumpkin, Nye slapped her MP3 player and orange headphones into Rick's hand.

"We'll try our best." He assured her with a chuckle.

She narrowed her eyes. "Your best better be enough." She playfully threatened.

She paused, glancing at the car with Randall in the back. "Just… Don't let Shane kill him, okay? Ace is pretty worried about him."

Rick nodded in understanding. "I'll try my best."

Nye watched as Rick put the headphones on Randall, before getting in and driving off.

…

"Daryl!" Mason shouted as he ran to the rednecks camp, Toby following, slightly behind.

Daryl sighed, looking up from the bolt shaft he was whittling.

Mason came to a stop, sitting down on one of the logs Daryl had around his fire pit and zipping up his jacket. Toby, looking slightly worse for wear, simply flopped on the ground.

"Can you take us hunting?" Mason asked between pants.

Daryl blinked, before going back to whittling. "Why?"

Now it was Mason's turn to blink. "Uh, 'cause it's cool?"

"Mason doesn't want to think about Randall." Toby added from the ground.

Daryl paused, looking back and forth between the two, before sighing. "You ask yer mom?"

Both boys brightened, before deflating.

Daryl shook his head. "Go ask. If she says yes, I'll take ya."

Both were back on their feet and running back to the house before he even finished.

" **Nye!** "

Nye looked up at Mason and Toby from were she had just sat back down on the porch.

"What are you two gremlins up to?" She asked in suspicion when she saw the eager looks on their faces.

"Can Daryl take us hunting?" Mason asked.

Nye's brows raised. "He offered?"

Both nodded.

Nye blew a raspberry. "Well, I mean…"

Mason and Toby simultaneously leaned in and pouted.

Nye sighed. "Shit, fine. But, you each need a gun, and your knives."

"We already have those-"

Toby cut Mason off, slapping a hand over his mouth.

Nye raised an unamused brow.

"Uh, what he means to say is-"

Nye rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation. "Go. Have fun."

Both grinned and took off.

"Tell Daryl if he brings back squirrel, I'll kick his ass!" She shouted at their retreating forms, getting a thumbs up from Mason.

Nye sat back and grinned. Knowing full well they wouldn't be able to get anything, not with Mason and Toby having no hunting experience. She grinned wider, knowing _Daryl_ knew that two, and this "hunting trip" was more so a way to distract the two boys.

 _Well, looks like Daryl's warmed up to them…_ She paused. _When did that happen?_

…

Nye looked over her shoulder upon hearing the door swing open violently.

"Nye! Have you seen Maggie or Hershel?" Lori asked in worry.

Nye stood. "No, w-why-"

"I need you to watch Beth for me. I think she was planning to... She held onto a _knife._ " Lori told her, dashing to their camp to see if anyone else had seen the Greene's. Leaving Nye gaping.

Nye, without question, bolted inside and up the stairs.

Upon entering Beth's room, Nye sighed softly, seeing the girl laying there, looking completely destroyed.

"Beth…? What happened?" She asked in her softest voice, the one reserved for when Mason or Toby were sick.

Beth stayed silent, back facing Nye.

Footsteps thundered up the stairs, and Nye turned to see a angry Maggie and a worried Lori.

"Nye. Could you leave us." Maggie asked through clenched teeth.

Nye nodded, walking towards Lori, and the two slowly went down the stairs. When entering the kitchen they found Andrea there, leaning against the counter.

Nye jumped when there was suddenly yelling coming from Beth's room.

"Where's Hershel?" Andrea asked.

Lori shook her head. "He doesn't want to find out yet. It's a family affair. We'll let them work it out."

"That's working it out?" Andrea asked.

Nye snorted. "It's nothing compared to how Ace and Smalls were in the early month I was fostering them both. It's a sibling thing."

Lori nodded again, leaning against the counter now as well. "When Beth stops fighting, that's when it's time to worry."

"You are being so selfish!" They heard Maggie's muffled yell.

Nye winced, wishing she knew how to seriously talk to people who weren't Mason or Toby.

"This could've been handled better." Andrea said, looking down.

"How so?" Lori asked.

Nye could feel a silent tension rising, and she couldn't bring herself to say anything.

"You shouldn't have taken the knife away." Andrea told them, point blank.

Nye froze, looking over at Andrea in shock.

"Excuse me?" Lori asked quietly.

"You were wrong, like Dale taking my gun. That wasn't your decision." Andrea said bluntly. "She has to choose to live on her own. She has to find her own reasons."

Nye stood there, in between the two women, silently seething at Andrea.

"Want me to tie a noose for her?" Lori asked, scathingly.

"Or maybe round up all the pill bottles in the house?" Nye added.

"If she's serious, she'll figure out a way." Andrea told them.

"Doesn't mean we can't stop her or let her know that we care." Lori argued.

"That has nothing to do with it, Lori. She only has so many choices in front of her, and she believes the best one is suicide." Andrea stated.

"Well that's not a fucking option." Nye said heatedly. "You're not a mom, you have no _idea_ how much it would destroy someone to lose their kid. _Especially to suicide._ "

Andrea turned to her. "Of course it's an option. She doesn't need to be yelled at or treated like a child."

"She needs a loaded gun, right? You'll understand if I don't send you in there." Lori told her, not bothering to look up from the vegetables she was roughly cutting.

"I came through it." Andrea argued.

"And became such a productive member of the group." Lori added.

Nye froze, staring at Lori in disbelief.

 _D-did… Did she just…?_

"Let Maggie handle this her way." Lori finished.

"I contribute. I help keep this place safe." Andrea argued.

 _Oh my god, she fucking did._

That's it, Nye was done. Andrea was rooting for Beth to kill herself, and Lori just turned the conversation about that, into one about _fucking_ chores?

Yeah, she was done, totally done, there is no way she's gonna-

"Like shooting Daryl in the head?" Nye growled.

-humor them… Wait, what?

"The men can handle this on their own. They don't need your help." Lori told them.

Nye clenched her jaw. _Bull-FUCKING-shit._

She should storm out, right now. Because if she didn't, these two were in for a show.

But her feet remained rooted to where she stood.

"I'm sorry. What would you have me do?" Andrea asked in disbelief.

"Oh, there's plenty of work to go around."

"Are you serious? Everything falls apart, you're in my face over skipping laundry?" Andrea demanded.

Nye really didn't want to agree with Andrea in any capacity after the things she said about Beth, but Lori was being ridiculous.

"Puts a burden on the rest of us, on me and Carol, and Patricia and Maggie. Cooking, cleaning and caring for Beth. And you-you don't care about anyone but yourself. You sit up on that RV, working on your tan with a shotgun in your lap." Lori bit out.

"No, I am on watch against walkers. That is what matters, not fresh mint leaves in the lemonade. And what about Nye? She doesn't do anything."

Nye glared at Andrea, but Lori spoke before her.

"Nye is _hurt._ She has two boys to take care of, and she _still_ manages to help out with things.

Nye didn't know how to feel about this. On one hand, Lori was defending her, on the other, she was ready to deck them both in their faces.

"Yeah, and where are Mason and Toby now?" Andrea asked, scathingly.

Nye saw red, but again, Lori spoke before her.

"That doesn't matter. We are providing stability. We are trying to create a life worth living."

"Are you kidding me?" Andrea scoffed.

Lori shook her head. "Look, I went after Rick. I took down two walkers-"

"After crashing Maggie's car-"

"Don't act like you're the only one who can take care of herself-"

"Ever apologize for that?"

Lori shook her head. "Crashing her… You're insane."

"No, you are. And you're the one that's self-centered, the way you take it all for granted." Andrea said.

"My husband is out there for the _hundredth_ time. My son was _shot_. Don't you dare tell me I take this for granted!"

"You don't get it, do you? Your husband came back from the dead, your son too. And now you've got a baby on the way. The rest of us have piled up our losses. Me, Carol, Beth, but you just keep on keeping on." Andrea leaned in.

"We have all suffered."

"Playing house, acting like the queen bee, laying down rules for everybody but yourself. You know what? Go ahead. Go in there and tell that little girl that everything's gonna be okay, just like it is for you. She'll get a husband, a son, baby, _boyfriend_." Andrea hissed.

Lori slowly turned and looked at her.

"She just has to look on the bright side." Andrea finished in an overly chipper tone.

It was silent, and Andrea turned to walk away, but…

"I can't believe…"

Both Lori and Andrea looked at Nye.

Nye shook her head, a bitter smile on her face. "You _both,_ are just… _wow._ " She chuckled darkly. "You are just both _pieces of work."_

Andrea scoffed, stepping closer to Nye "And you wanna know what you are, Nye?" She leaned closer. "You're a glorified baby-sitter."

A snarl pierced the air, and Lori knew what was about to happen before either Andrea or Nye.

Lori latched onto Nye's right wrist, causing her to tense.

"Nye, I think you need some air." Lori firmly told her, the trembling fist she was holding onto, ready to fly seconds ago, slowly relaxed.

Nye took a deep breath, and stormed out.

She walked around the house, coming to a stop at the side, and, without much thought, started punching the wall. Despite her burning anger, she had enough sense to only punch with her right hand.

"Hey! W-what are you doing!?"

Nye tensed, but reeled back for another punch anyway.

"Whoa, whoa whoa!" Glenn quickly ran over and grabbed her fist before she could let it fly.

Nye glared at him, wrenching her hand from his grip. He put up his hands in surrender.

"What happened?" He asked softly.

Nye snarled and stared down at her bloodied hand, clenching it and unclenching it repeatedly. Glenn once again reached for her hand, seeing she was only making it bleed harder.

"Andrea and Lori are both delusional." Nye snarled.

Glenn blinked, unsure of what to say for a moment. "Um, what-"

"Andrea thinks we should let Beth kill herself, and Lori wants us women to "go back to the kitchen where we belong", and let the men do the protecting." She huffed, turning around and leaning her back against the wall.

Chancing a glance at Glenn, she saw he had become pale.

Nye clenched her teeth. "And, Andrea called me a "Glorified Babysitter". Not that that's more important than the Beth situation, but-"

Both froze when Lori's voice shouted out from inside the house.

"Nye!"

…

After helping the solemn and silent Hershel stop the bleeding from Beth's slit wrist, Nye slowly stepped out on the porch, sighing and sitting down on the steps. But, as she glanced up at the approaching blonde, she felt herself tensing again.

 _Can I catch a damn break, for two minutes? That's all I ask._

Nye heard the door open behind her, and didn't bother looking, already knowing it was the older Greene sister.

"Where were you?" Maggie demanded as Andrea reached the porch.

Nye's presence on the steps kept her from even trying to go up them.

"I heard. Is she all right?" Andrea asked in concern.

Nye nearly exploded at that, because how _fucking_ dare she.

"She would be if you had stayed with her. Where were you?" Maggie continued, obviously furious.

"How bad is she?" Andrea asked.

"It wasn't deep." Maggie curtly answered.

Andrea sighed in relief. "She wants to live. She made her decision."

"She tried to kill herself!"

"No, she didn't." Andrea dared to argue.

"My father is stitching her wrist right now." Maggie told her.

"She'll live."

Nye growled and finally stood, blocking Andrea off from her attempt to get inside, staring down at her the with the same look she gives Shane.

Complete disgust.

"Stay away from her. From both of us. Don't you dare step foot inside this house again." Maggie growled in warning.

Nye watched as Andrea deflated, and left. She had it all wrong, this "test" she encouraged Beth to take was awful. It didn't matter that Beth passed, it didn't matter that she didn't cut deep enough. Because there was a large possibility that she would have failed, and if she did, there was no going back from it. Maggie would have lost her last sibling, Hershel would have lost one of his last children. And all because Andrea was too proud of herself, too sure that her way was the right one.

And in that moment, a dark and disgusting thought drifted through Nye's mind.

Andrea should have stayed in the CDC.

…

Mason loosely held the squirrel they somehow managed to catch (despite Nye's warning) as he and Toby continued to engage Daryl in mostly one sided conversation.

They trip had done its job, after Daryl taught the two some easy traps, Mason seemed to forget about Randall for the time being. But as they approached the Greene property, Mason slowly deflated.

Toby, of course, noticed. "Mason, you should tell Nye about how you almost fell in the river." He mentioned, trying to take his brother's mind off of it.

Mason nodded, absentmindedly rubbing the "war paint" on his cheeks with the back of his hand. The two, not long after setting out, had scooped up some mud and smeared it on their cheeks.

As they got close enough to the house to make out Nye's still form sitting on the steps, both boys took off in a run to reach her faster.

When she glanced up at them, Daryl could have sworn something dark had been swimming in her eyes, but as they settled on Mason and Toby, whatever he thought he saw, disappeared, being replaced with something warm and loving.

That is, until Mason flung the dead rodent at her.

"Ace! You little shit!" She squealed, knocking the animal off her lap.

Mason laughed, and Toby meekly waved at her. But Daryl was giving her a once over. Even though she stayed at the house all day, he could tell something had happened, something more stressful than taking Mason and Toby out "hunting".

And he suddenly felt bad, maybe if she had took them instead and gone fishing with them or something, than she wouldn't look so exhausted.

"Holy shit, what'd you do to your hand?"

Mason's question brought Toby and Daryl's attention to said hand.

Daryl narrowed his eyes at the torn up knuckles.

Nye forced a laugh. "I, uh, got into a fist fight with a wall."

Mason and Toby nodded, as if this was a common occurrence.

"Anyway, how 'bout you tell me how your trip was." Nye brought them attention back to the boys.

And as the two started shooting out parts of the trip to her, some of it completely out of order in their haste, Daryl saw her shoulders start to relax, followed by her smile turning genuine, and finished with her eyes lighting up.

Whatever dark things had been swirling, had been officially snuffed out. And all because of her Ace and Smalls.

If Daryl had known what Andrea had called her, he wouldn't have been able to disagree more. Because the look in her eyes as she stared at them, was nothing but pure motherly love.

...

They brought Randall back.

She didn't know how to feel about it, because on one hand, that means they knew for sure he's alive, sleeping in the barn. But on the other, it meant they were still in danger, and Shane was only going to get worse.

When night had fallen, Nye sat the boys down and wiped the last of their "war paint" off before sending them to bed, and when they asked her why she wasn't sleeping yet, she merely told them she was going to check on Beth first.

Nye rarely lied to Mason and Toby. And when she did, she always had a good reason. Like her arm, they thought it was from a dog attacking her, because she didn't want them to look at her like so many others.

She didn't care if the whole group looked at her with pity, she could deal with it. But if Mason or Toby stared at her like that, she couldn't take it.

And now, she was walking in the opposite direction of the house. Making her way through the tall grass, and walking up to the worn doors of the barn.

No one was guarding him, which was good for her. And after picking the lock (something that took her almost ten minutes in of itself. Damn, she was out of practice) she slowly, and quietly walked in.

It was clear Randall hadn't even tried to sleep yet, going from how tense and wide-eyed he was.

For a moment, she just stood in the doorway, staring at him, completely unsure of what to do or say now that she was actually looking him in the eye.

He recovered from his shock before she could come up with something, and it was clear he had taken her appearance the wrong way.

"Oh- _oh God-_ " He started panicking.

Nye cursed inwardly, and held her hands up in a show of peace. "Hey hey hey, I'm not here for what you think I am."

Randall's brows pinched together, and he scooted back some more anyway.

She sighed, stuffing her hands in her pockets. "I just-shit." She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I don't know why I'm here. I just started walking, and ended up here, I guess."

She looked down at him, taking his distrusting look. "I guess, I came to apologize."

He blinked. Clearly wrong-footed.

She nodded to herself. "For, all the shit that's happened. So, sorry." She kicked at the dirt, debating on asking her next question. "And, uh... Do you remember me?"

Randall hesitantly nodded. "You're a foster mom, right? You took in..."

"Mason." Nye supplied.

He nodded again. "Yeah. I remember we talked while you did all that paperwork for 'em." He said, seeming to calm slightly.

She smiled ruefully. The way she remembered it, she had been trying to talk to him, and had only managed to get a few words out of him.

Looking out the door, she saw how dark it had gotten, reminding her she needed to get back to her tent.

She had done what she intended to do. She apologized and checked on him, and he was fine, so there was no point in her sticking around any longer.

"I gotta go." She softly told him, trying to ignore the look of disappointment and fear on his face.

As she walked out the door, his voice made her pause.

"Wait! C-could you, maybe- I-I mean 'm sorry 'bout shooting at you. B-but I swear 'm not a t-threat-"

She smiled sadly to herself, back still turned. "Sorry Randall. There's nothing I can do. I _can't_ let you out."

She shut the doors behind her and locked them once more, trying to tune out his stuttering pleas, and ignore the knot already forming in her stomach.

Tomorrow, when it was time to decide the boy's fate, was going to be horrible, she could already tell.

But something that should have made her stomach roll, was the fact that despite knowing what was most likely to happen, she felt apathetic.

She couldn't find it in herself to worry over Randall like Dale did. Her top priority, no matter what, was her kids. And if Randall truly did pose a threat to them...

She sighed, and started making her way back to camp. And even with effort put in, she couldn't even feel guilty for being apathetic. She'd always joked about there being something wrong with her, but it was not much of a joke now, not when a child's death was just something for her to feel inconvenienced at.

But at the sight of her tent, she made a promise to herself. That if it came down to a vote in the end, she'd vote in favor of keeping him alive.

Nye was not a stable person, and she could except that. What she couldn't except, was her kids thinking the same way. So she'd work at it, to at least appear stable for them. And if that took having to deal with Randall sticking around, than she'd deal.

While entering the tent, she could hear both boys soft breathing, indicating they'd fallen asleep while waiting for her to get back.

As she settled on top of her own sleeping-bag, slowly and carefully wiggling in, she realized something.

 _Maybe having an earlier expiration date than most makes you a shittier person._

She pondered this, before writing it off.

 _Nah, it's probably just me._

* * *

 **First off, no, Nye is not a sociopath or anything like that. She just struggles to care about anyone she's not close to. And the fact Randall may pose a threat to the people she _does_ care about, makes it almost impossible for her to let herself care. It's a coping mechanism, a way to make sure she doesn't let anyone untrustworthy in and hurt her and her loved ones.**

 **So yeah. Anyway I'm just going to leave you with that little hint of something serious going on with Nye's health (that I've been planning for awhile), because I just finally watched Ant-Man and the Wasp, and that mid credits scene hurt my feelings.**


	14. Just maybe

**Me: *sitting in bed, finally writing this, and eating a brownie. all together in a good mood***

 **Me again: *then sees what episode we're onto***

 **Also Me: "Oh shit."**

* * *

Nye sat on top of the RV and intently watched the barn, as if she expected it to suddenly change.

Mason and Toby were currently eating lunch with Carl inside the house. All three had no idea of what was going on inside the barn.

She grimaced, wondering what Daryl could be doing to Randall. She couldn't help but feel bad for not speaking up to Rick when he told them the plan.

What plan? The one where Daryl goes in the barn and beats the shit out of Randall.

That plan.

The look on Dale's face when they were told what Rick was gonna have Daryl do, was burned into Nye's memory. Dale was like the wise old grandpa of the group, and the look of disappointment he gave them, was down right painful.

…

Randall whimpered. "I told you-"

"You told me shit!" Daryl cut him off.

"I barely knew those guys. I met 'em on the road." Randall told him again.

"How many in your group?" Daryl growled.

Randall shrugged weakly, so Daryl pulled out his knife.

"Uh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Come on, man." Randall begged.

Daryl slammed the knife down near Randall's hurt leg. "How many?!"

"Uh, 30! 30, 30 guys." Randall stuttered.

"Where?"

"Uh-" Randall hesitated.

Daryl reached down and ripped off his bandage, mentally apologizing to Nye, knowing she was the one who checked and redressed his wound that morning.

Randall screamed in pain. "I don't know. I _swear_. We were never anyplace more than a night."

Daryl placed the tip of his knife on the wound, just hard enough to make it clear to Randall, not to pull any shit. "Scoutin'? Plannin' on stayin' local?"

"I-I don't know. They- they left me behind."

"Did you ever pick off a scab?" Daryl threatened.

"Come on, man! I'm-I'm trying to cooperate."

"Start real slow at first." Daryl continued, pressing down on the wound harder.

"No." Randall whimpered.

"Sooner or later, you've just gotta rip it off."

"Okay!" Randall caved. "Okay. The-the-they have weapons" Randall stammered. "Heavy stuff, automatics. B-b-but I didn't do _anything_."

Daryl scowled at him. "Your boys shot at my people, tried to take this farm. You just went along for the ride?" Daryl asked in disbelief. "You're tryin' to tell me you're innocent?"

"Yes!" Randall snapped. "These-these people took me in. Not just guys. Uh-a whole group of 'em."

As Randall spoke, Daryl stood.

"Men and women, kids too. Just like you p-people. Thought I'd have a better chance with them, you know? But…" Randall hesitated. "We go out, scavenge, just the men. One night, we found this little campsite… A man and his two daughters. Teenagers, you know? Real young… Real cute."

Daryl froze, staring down at Randall, already having a hunch on where this story was going to lead.

"…Their daddy had to watch while these guys, they…And they didn't even kill him afterwards! They just-They just made him watch as his daughters- They just-just-just left him there."

There was no telling why Randall thought sharing this with Daryl would help his case.

Daryl stared down at him. He didn't know why, but his mind supplied him with images similar to what Randall was describing. Only in them, it was an immature mom, and her two sons.

Randall saw the cold fury enter Daryl's eyes, and tried to backtrack.

"No, but-but-but I didn't touch those girls! No, I swear I didn't to-"

Randall didn't get to finish, as Daryl delivered a swift kick to the boy's side.

"Please. Please." Randall whimpered. "You gotta believe me, man. I'm not like that. I ain't like that. Please. Please, you gotta believe me."

Daryl kicked him again.

…

"So, what you gonna do? We'd all feel better if we knew the plan." Lori asked from her position crouched at the campfire.

"Is there a plan?" Andrea added.

"We gonna keep him here?" Glenn asked.

"He might be totally innocent, guys." Nye said softly, leaning against Pumpkin, Mason and Toby standing next to her on either side.

"We'll know soon enough." Rick plainly told them.

They all looked over upon hearing Daryl's approach, and Nye immediately noticed his bloody knuckles.

"Boy there's got a gang, 30 men. They have heavy artillery and they ain't looking to make friends. They roll through here, our boys are dead. And our women, they're gonna… They're gonna wish they were." Daryl told them.

Nye scowled, and pulled Mason and Toby closer. Not believing the men would stop at the women.

"What did you do?" Carol softly asked him.

"Had a little chat." Daryl evaded.

"No one goes near this guy." Rick ordered.

"Rick, what are you gonna do?" Lori softly asked.

"We have no choice. He's a threat. We have to eliminate the threat." Rick told them.

Nye stiffened, and felt both Mason and Toby do the same.

 _Here we go._

"You're just gonna kill him?" Dale asked in shock.

"It's settled. I'll do it today." Rick barked before walking off.

Dale followed after him.

Shuddering on her right brought her attention to Mason. Her heart dropped when she saw the poorly concealed horror on his face.

"Mason…" Nye softly murmured. She quickly pulled him and Toby inside the house.

After sitting them both down on the couch, she went into the kitchen, looking for something.

"Need help?" Glenn awkwardly asked as he followed her into the kitchen.

Nye jumped, not having noticed his presence. "Uh, you think they have any instant hot chocolate?"

Glenn stared at her in confusion.

Nye sighed. "It's his favorite…"

Glenn nodded, and walked towards the other cabinets. "Well, than lets find some."

Nye smiled at him, his presence alone calming some of her nerves.

After finding some, they brought Mason and Toby into the kitchen as the water heated up on the stove.

Mason didn't look up from the counter, and Toby was watching him in grim silence.

"Do, you want to talk-"

"No." Mason cut her off. "We're gonna kill Randall. I don't wanna talk."

Nye and Glenn shared a tense look.

She swallowed thickly, hating what she was about to say to him. "Hun… Rick thinks there's no other way."

"Yes there is, we're just not seeing it." Mason plainly told her.

…

As the day went on, the guilt of their decision weighed heavier and heavier on Nye's shoulders. After what happened the night before, and feeling apathetic to the whole thing, she was surprised and relieved when she realized the knot forming in her stomach was guilt induced.

After finally finishing the dumpster fire that was Twilight, she sat back on the couch sitting in the middle of the Greene's living room. Much to her grief, Mason had refused to talk to her since the hot chocolate, and was now reading comics silently upstairs with Toby and Carl.

She contemplated what to do, trying to come up with something that might take her mind off the shitstorm that was their lives. It was when she started fidgeting with her bandages that she remembered something.

"That'll have to do." She muttered and stood up.

After finding a rag from the kitchen, she went out, jogging up to Pumpkin. Once she found what she was looking for, it was only a matter of finding him.

…

"So… How old is he?"

Mason paused his reading, hesitantly looking up at Carl.

"I… I dunno." Mason murmured, trying to recall how old he had been the last time they saw each other. He had been with that family only for a couple months, before Nye showed up and they dumped him on her.

He and Randall really weren't that close. In fact, Randall didn't really like Mason, he thought he was weird, so he kept his distance. But he didn't like this at all. He hated it. Randall was someone from when the world wasn't messed up, he was a tie to the way things used to be. Not to mention, the thought of what the group was planning to do made the kid sick to his stomach.

Carl looked down, feeling bad for bringing it up. But, then he got an idea.

"Let's go see him." Carl eagerly suggested.

Toby stiffed, while Mason straightened up.

"Guy, guys _no_ -" Toby tried warning them.

"What if we talk to him, and work something out." Mason said, standing and putting down his comic.

Carl followed his lead, and that was when Toby panicked.

"No! What if he does something bad! You heard Daryl." Toby tried stopping them.

Mason rounded on Toby. "We're going. Are you coming with us, or are you gonna tell?"

Toby looked between the two, unsure of what was the right thing to do.

After a few more seconds of silence, he deflated.

"D-don't let him out, _just_ talk."

Mason grinned, and he and Carl booked it out of the room.

As soon as he heard the front door slam, he started to panic.

"Oh my god _why'd I let them go!?"_ He dashed downstairs, running out the front door after them. As he turned to run to the barn, a voice stopped him.

"Toby? What's wrong?" Dale worriedly asked the panicked kid.

"I-I…" He stuttered and came to a halt. "I was looking for… _Nye?"_

Dale nodded, and Toby felt horrible for lying to him, especially since he believed it so quickly.

"I'm actually looking for her two, so if I find her, I'll send her your way."

Toby nodded shakily. "Yeah, me two."

As Dale walked away, Toby sagged, glancing back at the barn, before looking back to Dale. He swallowed his nerves, and turned away from the barn.

"Dale, can we look together instead?" Toby called after him.

 _Mason's tough, tougher than me. So there's no reason for me to go after them._

He kept telling himself that, hoping it would sink in.

…

"Hey, Hotshot! Sit your ass down." Nye called, having found him walking along the edge of the woods.

Daryl sighed harshly, glaring over at her, despite following her orders. The saying "pick your battles" definitely came to mind for him in that moment.

Without a word of explanation, she crouched down and pulled out the rag and bottle rubbing alcohol.

He scoffed and went to stand, but she stopped him with a vice like grip on his wrist.

"This ain't for you. Not really." She plainly told him, not taking her eyes off his knuckles. "I need something to take my mind off of… Shit, _everything."_ She sighed, letting go of his wrist and wetting the rag.

Thankfully, he stayed seated, silently watching her as she swiped the rag over his hand. She was _surprisingly_ gentle with it, and any time he'd tense she'd murmur a quiet "Sorry." Thinking it was from the rubbing alcohol.

Daryl looked off in the direction of the barn. "How's the kid doin'?"

Nye knew which kid he was asking about, and it was nice knowing he was concerned. She may not know what exactly happened between her kids and Daryl, but she knew the redneck had grown a soft spot for them.

Her hands stuttered, and she sighed. "Why'd it have to be _him?_ Why couldn't we be stuck with one of the other bastards shooting at us?" She asked instead of answering.

"We have shit luck." He suggested.

She snorted, finishing up with his knuckles.

It was… Nice. Just a quiet moment between the two, where neither of them felt the need to fill the silence. That was when Nye realized that most of their conversations were, for the most part, silent. And Daryl seemed to be the only one in the group (minus her kids) that she could pull that off with.

…

At first, Mason was speechless.

He looked different. And not just because he was black and blue. He was older, obviously, but he looked tougher too. Randall had been one of those scrawny kids who got shoved in lockers. But now, he looked like he'd be doing the shoving.

Carl quietly seated himself beside Mason on one of the wooden beams. So far, Randall hadn't noticed them.

But Mason wanted him to. "Psssssh, Randy!" He whisper-shouted.

Randall jumped, and looked up at the boys.

The teen froze, shocked to see Mason, before a grin spread across his face. "Mason?"

Said boy grinned, happy that he remembered.

But Randall suddenly became nervous. "Hey, I didn't know it was Miss Conner. I-if I'd known, I'd never had shot at 'er."

Mason nodded reassuringly. "It's okay, it was dark, you couldn't see her face."

Randall relaxed, before turning to Carl. "A-and who're you?"

Carl glanced at Mason, staying silent.

Mason nudged Carl. "This is my friend, Carl."

Randall gave a smile to Carl, and if they were older, they might have been able to see it was forced.

"That's a sweet hat. The sheriff guy- That your dad?" Randall asked, but Carl stayed silent. "I like him. Yeah, he's a good guy. I can tell. Your mom out here too? You're-you're lucky you still got your family. I lost mine."

Mason looked down at his hands.

"Hey, I-I don't know what the grown ups been saying about me, but I didn't do nothing. I swear. Just ask Mason, I wouldn't do anything." Randall told them.

Carl stood, and started walking along the beams, while Mason sat and tried to think of what to say.

"Your dad was gonna let me go till his friend started fighting with him. It got pretty bad. I-I was kinda worried. My camp, we got lots of supplies."

Carl walked towards a latter leading down, and he shared a look with Mason. He quickly got up and headed to the latter, and they both climbed down.

"You help me, I'll take you and your folks back to my people. We'll take good care of you. Keep you safe. Just gotta-Just gotta help me get out of here, okay? Mason? Just help me pick these locks or find the key, okay? Come on, please?" Randall begged as Carl and Mason walked over.

Mason nodded. "I can get Nye. She knows how to pick locks. Besides, she hates the plan too. So I'm sure she'll help."

Carl glanced at him again. While he had been on board at first, the more they talked to Randall, the more he felt nervous.

Randall grinned. But, then the doors swung open.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" Shane demanded, and the two boys shrunk back.

Shane turned to Randall. "What did you say to him? What did you say to him, huh?"

"I didn't say nothing. I didn't say nothing!" Randall yelled as Shane shoved his back against the wall, and put his gun to his head.

Andrea walked in and stood between Shane and the kids. "Hey, hey. Shane not now!"

"Let me tell you something. I will shoot you where you sit. Open your mouth. Open your mouth." Shane tried shoving the barrel of the pistol in the teens mouth.

"Shane!"

"You like talking, man? You like talking?!"

"Shane back off!"

Mason was shaking as Shane stepped away from Randall. He and Carl leaned against each other as Shane turned to them.

"Get your ass out this door. Let's go." He grabbed their arms and dragged them outside.

"The hell you doing?" Shane demanded.

"Please don't tell my parents." Carl begged.

Mason silently stared at the ground.

"Carl, that ain't cool, man. You could've gotten hurt in there." Shane put his focus on Carl.

"I can handle myself." Carl told him angrily.

"Let me tell you something- you do not go near him again. Do you hear me?" Shane told him, before sighing. "Damn it."

"You won't tell my parents, will you?" Carl asked.

Shane sighed, then stiffened. "Carl, who's idea was this?"

Mason gulped.

…

She didn't know what it was for, but Nye was currently sorting through a pile of sticks in Daryl's camp.

She looked up when she heard a scoff, and saw Dale approaching.

"The whole point of me coming up here is to get away from you people." Daryl threw at him, not looking up from the sticks.

Nye grinned. "Not really working, is it?"

She got a middle finger in response.

"She's right, it's gonna take more than that." Dale told him.

"Carol send you?" Daryl asked.

"Carol's not the only one that's concerned about you, your new role in the group." Dale told him.

"Oh, man, I don't need my head shrunk. This group's broken. I'm better off fending for myself." Daryl barked at the older man.

Nye sighed and rolled her eyes.

 _Maybe we'd buy that if you_ genuinely _didn't give two shits about us._

"You act like you don't care." Dale said.

"Yeah, it's 'cause I don't."

 _Suuuuuuuure._

"So live or die, you don't care what happens to Randall?" Dale asked.

"Nope." Was Daryl's short reply.

"Then why not stand with me, try to save the kid's life, if it really doesn't matter one way or the other?" Dale asked.

"Didn't peg you for a desperate son of a bitch." Daryl told him as he put on his long sleeved shirt and vest.

That reminded Nye to start making the boys wear warmer clothes, as the temperature had been dropping the last few days.

"Your opinion makes a difference." Dale tried telling him.

"Man, ain't nobody looking at me for nothing." Daryl told him, and Nye scowled.

Dale, having saw her face, gestured to her. "Nye is,"

She flushed, and sent Dale a scowl of his own.

"and I am. Right now. And you obviously- You have Rick's ear." Dale finished.

"Rick just looks to Shane. Let him." Daryl told him, before turning and walking away, crossbow slung over his shoulder.

What Dale said next stopped the hunter in his tracks. "You cared about what happened to Sophia."

Daryl turned and glared at the man. Nye stood, looking between the two.

"Cared what it meant to the group. Torturing people? That isn't you. You're a decent man. So is Rick. Shane-He's different." Dale told him, and Nye couldn't help but agree with everything he'd just said.

"Why's that? 'Cause he killed Otis?" Daryl asked, and Nye stood beside him.

Dale paused. "He tell you that?"

"He told some story. How Otis covered him, saved his ass." Daryl told him calmly, before glancing at Nye.

She sighed, stuffing her right hand in her pocket. "He has Otis' gun. I saw it in his car."

Daryl nodded. "Rick ain't stupid. If he didn't figure that out, it's 'cause he didn't wanna. It's like I said. Group's broken."

With that, he turned and walked away.

Dale sighed, turning to Nye.

She held up her hands in surrender. "Hey man, you've had my vote from the start."

Dale smiled. "Thank you." He told her throatily.

He took a breath, before remembering something. "Oh yeah, Toby and I were looking for you. He got tired though, about ten minutes ago. He's in the RV."

Nye nodded. "Thanks, I owe you one."

Dale shook his head. "You being on my side is more than enough."

As she and Dale walked back to their set-up, and spotted RV, Nye slowed.

"Dale,"

"Hmm?"

"What the hell did Mason do?"

Dale sighed, watching the eleven year old as he sat dejectedly beside the RV.

"He went to talk to Randall."

When he didn't get a response, Dale looked over at her. And wasn't surprised in the least when he saw her shaking in anger.

She left Dale's side and marched up to Mason, briefly spotting Toby, as he watched in worry through a window.

She crouched down, taking Mason's chin in her hands, and forcing him to look at her. "What were you thinking?"

Mason scowled. "We can't kill him."

Nye sighed. "That doesn't answer my question."

Mason deflated. "…Just thought we could help."

Nye's features softened, until she registered what he said. "Wait, "We"?"

Mason froze, and Toby came barreling out of the RV.

"I can't take it anymore! Lying is _horrible!_ Carl went with him!"

Mason glared at his brother, while the relief from telling someone caused Toby to sigh loudly, and collapse on the ground like a limp noodle.

Nye turned back to Mason. "Where's Carl?"

Mason shrugged, and she narrowed her eyes.

"Isn't he in trouble two?"

"Shane let him off with a warning, and told me to sit here until you decided to show up. His words, not mine." Mason grumbled.

Nye growled. "That piece of _shit._ Thinks he can talk to my kid like…"

As Nye continued to mutter death threats, Dale put a hand on her shoulder.

"Nye. Randall?"

She blinked. "Oh, right."

"We didn't let him out or anything, we just talked." Mason told her.

Nye rubbed her temple. "But Ace, you still talked to him." She sighed, and stood. "Okay, uhhh… How about, a week without… Comics?"

Mason groaned, and Dale patted her on the back.

"That sounds reasonable." The man told her, proudly.

Nye's shoulders sagged as she let herself relax.

"Smalls, get off the ground."

…

Sadly, Nye's day looked like it wouldn't get any calmer. After forcing Mason to tell her everything Randall said, Dale asked if she'd be willing to go find Daryl, and try and convince him of his cause.

"He listens to you."

Nye scoffed. "Since _when?_ "

Dale raised a brow. "Around since the time you started calling him 'Daryl'."

She hesitated at that, swallowing whatever excuse she planned to use. "I… _Fine._ Watch the boys." She sighed.

Dale thanked her, stepping inside the RV. He turned his head back to her, as she started walking away.

"Make sure to take something with you."

She lazily lifted her large monkey wrench in the air, wordlessly telling him she had all she needed.

The only problem in talking to Daryl at the moment, was finding him. So without much thought, she marched into a random part in the woods surrounding the farm.

It was around twenty minutes of searching before she found something.

But that something _definitely_ wasn't Daryl

"Whoa!" Nye huffed as a small form darted right into her.

She looked down and was met with a familiar sheriffs hat.

Carl panted, glancing behind himself one more time, before turning and looking up at Nye.

"Hey, hey, hey. What's wrong?" She softly asked, putting her hands on his shoulders to steady him.

"N-nothing. Just g-got… lost."

Nye narrowed her eyes. "Why were you out here in the first place?"

Before he could answer, she seemed to come to her own conclusion.

"Wait, are you hiding from your parents? Because of what you and Mason did?"

Carl seemed to debate it in his head, before nodded shakily.

She sighed. "Chief, you can't just-"

That's when she noticed the way he seemed to be hiding something behind his back.

"What's that."

Carl paled. "I-it's uh-"

Before he could react, she reached down and over his shoulder, gripping the item, and pulling it away from him.

Her jaw dropped when her eyes were met with the cold black metal of a gun.

"I was afraid to be out here without one!" Carl immediately told her, once again glancing over his shoulder.

Nye looked from the gun to him sharply. "You shouldn't be out here period!"

He flinched, and looked to the ground. And she realized this was the first time she'd ever gotten mad at him.

She looked back and forth between him and the gun for a while, before letting out a defeated groan.

"Where'd you get it?"

"…Daryl's stuff."

"Son of a-" She gave a harsh sigh. "Okay." She looked up at the canopy, chewing on the inside of her cheek as she questioned her mental stability (not for the first time) for what she was about to do.

"Okay. Okay… I'll take care of the gun, and I won't tell your parents about this." _Lord knows they don't need the extra stress._

Carl lit up, but Nye made sure to destroy most of the hope on his face.

" _But."_

He gulped.

" _Promise_ me, _promise_ you won't do something this _idiotic_ again." She begged.

Carl hastily nodded, taking one more glance behind his shoulder, before looking back up to her. "C-can we go?" He asked timidly.

Nye softened. And another exhausted sighed escaped her. "Yeah, dumbass, let's go."

Their feet crunched on sticks and the leafs that had already started falling as they left.

Maybe, _just_ _maybe_ , If she'd scolded Carl a little longer, the walker he'd been taunting could have caught up to them, and be put down.

…

As the sun began to set, and after dropping Carl at the house, Nye finally managed to track their redneck down.

And was annoyed out of her mind to find him, calmly sitting in his camp.

"You. Are. _The_ worst." She groaned and sat down next to him.

He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, she handed him his gun.

At the dumbfounded look on his face, she explained. "Don't tell Rick, and especially don't tell Lori… But Carl wanted to play grown-up and explore the woods."

Daryl sighed. "Lucky he didn't run into somethin'."

She nodded, staring at the wall of trees to her right, and the bright sunset at her front. "Dale wants me to talk to you."

He scoffed.

"Says you'll listen to me."

He stayed silent that time.

She sighed, dejectedly. "…It just feels wrong. Everything about this. I mean, all my Mom-instincts are telling me we _can't_ trust him. But… he's also a kid, one who, in a different life, could have been placed with me." She shrugged dejectedly. "I dunno… I just feel torn. Between guilt, and... not feeling _anything._ "

He nodded, seeming to be taking in all she said, before getting to his feet. "C'mon, bet they've started."

The walk to the house was silent, save for the crunching of their footsteps.

...

The atmosphere in the room was tense and thick. Nobody seemed able to look another in the eye for long. And when Rick walked in, the tension doubled.

After browbeating Carl upstairs where the other kids were, Glenn was the one to break the silence.

"So how do we do this? Just take a vote?"

"Does it have to be unanimous?" Andrea asked.

Nye gave a bitter laugh. "I doubt that'll happen."

"How about majority rules?" Lori proposed, and Nye and a few others nodded faintly.

"Well, let's- let's just see where everybody stands, then we can talk through the options." Rick told them.

"Well, where I sit, there's only one way to move forward." Shane said.

" _Killing him_ , right? I mean, why even bother to even take a vote? It's clear which way the wind's blowing." Dale butted in.

"Well, if people believe we should spare him, I wanna know." Rick told the room at large.

"Well, I can tell you it's a small group- Maybe just me, Nye and Glenn."

Nye slumped in her seat, disappointed in the numbers, but not surprised.

"Look, I-I think you're pretty much right about everything, all the time, but this-" Glenn started, telling everyone he was no longer on Dale's side.

"They've got you scared." Dale exclaimed in disbelief.

"He's not one of us." Glenn argued. "And we've-we've lost too many people already."

"How about you?" Dale gestured to Maggie. "Do you agree with this?"

Maggie glanced around before sighing and looking to Rick. "Couldn't we continue keeping him prisoner?"

"Just another mouth to feed." Daryl threw in.

"It may be a lean winter." Hershel added.

"We could ration better." Lori suggested.

"Well, he could be an asset. Give him a chance to prove himself." Dale practically begged.

"Put him to work?" Glenn proposed.

Nye sat up straighter. "That could work."

Rick shook his head. "We're not letting him walk around."

"We could put an escort on him." Maggie added.

"Who wants to volunteer for that duty?" Shane asked in disbelief.

"I will." Dale told him.

Nye raised her hand. "Me two. Me and Dale could take shifts."

Again, Rick shook his head, and much to Nye's confusion and annoyance, so did Daryl.

"I don't think any of us should be walking around with this guy." Rick told them.

Lori nodded along. "He's right. I wouldn't feel safe unless he was tied up."

"We can't exactly put chains around his ankles, sentence him to hard labor." Andrea spoke up.

Nye grimaced, as it was quickly becoming apparent that she and Dale were fighting a losing battle.

Shane sighed. "Look, say we let him join us, right? Maybe he's helpful, maybe he's _nice_. We let our guard down and maybe he runs off, brings back his 30 men." He tried to reason.

"So the answer is to kill him to prevent a crime that he may never even attempt?!" Dale asked them, almost yelling at this point. "If we do this, we're saying there's no _hope_. Rule of law is dead. There is no civilization." He finished thickly.

"Oh, my God." Shane groaned.

"Could you drive him further out? Leave him like you planned?" Hershel asked their unofficial leader.

Lori shook her head before Rick could answer. "You barely came back this time. There are walkers. You could break down. Y-you could get lost."

"Or get ambushed." Daryl added.

Nye sighed sharply through her nose. Just wishing she could hit some sort of magic pause button. Or hell, a rewind button would be even better.

"They're right. We should not put our own people at risk." Glenn murmured.

Nye scoffed and stood, having had enough. "So you're referring to us collectively now?" She asked, gaining everyone's attention. "Because I seem to recall Hershel hating our fucking guts, and wanting us off his land." Nye put her hands on her hips and stared them all down. "We barely know anything about each other, and yet we choose to blindly trust one another. I know more about Randall than I know about half of you." She nodded to the Greene's. "Hell, most of you don't even know _my God-damn name."_ She dropped back down on the chair and sighed. "The fact we're even having this meeting puts my stomach in knots." She finished lamely.

The room was silent as everyone waited for her to blow up again, and when she didn't, Patricia turned to Rick.

"If you go through with it, how would you do it? Would he suffer?"

 _Good. Fucking. Lord_

"We could hang him, right?" Shane shrugged. "Just snap his neck."

"I thought about that." Rick nodded. "Shooting may be more humane."

"And what about the body?" T-Dog asked. "Do we bury him-"

"Oh my fucking god." Nye groaned in her hands.

"Hold on, hold on!" Dale cut him off. "You're talking about this like it's already decided!"

"You've been talking all day, going around in circles. You just wanna go around in circles again?" Daryl asked, getting a venomous glare from Nye.

"This is a young man's life, and it is worth more than a five-minute conversation!" Dale snapped. "Is this what it's come to? We kill someone because we can't decide what else to do with him? You _saved_ him and now look at us. He's been tortured. He's gonna be executed..." Dale shook his head. "How are we any better than those people that we're so afraid of?" He finished quietly.

"We all know what needs to be done." Shane growled.

"No, Dale is right. We can't leave any stone unturned here." Rick argued, giving Nye a bit of hope. "We have a responsibility-"

"So what's the other solution?" Andrea cut him off.

"Let Rick finish." Lori told the blonde.

"We haven't come up with a single viable option yet. I wish we could-"

"So let's work on it!" Dale yelled.

"We are." Rick barked.

"Stop it. Just stop it." Carol cut them all off. "I'm sick of everybody arguing and fighting. I didn't ask for this. You can't ask us to decide something like this. Please decide- Either of you, both of you- But leave me out." Carol begged them.

"Not speaking out or killing him yourself. There's no difference." Dale told her, thickly.

"Dale!" Nye yelled in warning. He was allowed to be angry, so long as it was targeted at Rick or Shane. Preferably the latter.

"All right, that's enough. Anybody who wants the floor before we make a final decision has the chance." Rick told them.

Nobody moved other than to sit down. Dale glanced around, wringing his hat in his hands, before gesturing to Rick.

"You once said that we don't kill the living."

"Well, that was before the living tried to kill us." Rick countered.

"But don't you see? If we do this, the p-people that we were- The world that we knew is dead. And this new world is ugly... It's _Harsh_. It's-it's survival of the fittest. And that's a world I don't wanna live in, and I don't- And I don't believe that any of you do. I can't."

Nye had to look away, as tears welled up in Dale's eyes.

"Please. Let's just do what's right. Isn't there anybody else who's gonna stand with me?"

Wordlessly, Nye stood. Getting a look from the older man that made her chest feel warm.

 _So that's what it feels like when someone's proud of you, huh?_ She thought softly.

"He's right." Andrea spoke softly. "We should try to find another way."

Rick nodded. "Anybody else?"

"You already know my vote, Sheriff." Nye murmured.

The silence after that, was agonizing. With each second that ticked by, you could see the despair in Dale's eyes thicken.

No one could meet his gaze, and he scoffed.

"Are y'all gonna watch, too?" He asked bitterly, before shaking his head. "No, you'll go hide your heads in your tents and try to forget that we're slaughtering a human being." He gave a shuddering sigh. "I won't be a party to it."

Nye blinked when he gently patted her on the shoulder. And as he walked out of the living room, he patted Daryl on the shoulder as well, nodding his head.

"This group is broken."

...

She silently watched them, as her boys sat on Beth's bed, too focused on whispering back and forth to notice her. But when she took a step in, the floorboard creaked, and both boys snapped their heads up and stared at her.

She tried giving a smile. Until she saw the looks on their faces.

She slowly caught on, when she couldn't find a certain sheriff hat in the room.

Looking at them with a tight lipped scowl, she asked,

"Where is he?"

...

That's it, she won. She was officially number one mom of the group. _especially_ with the fact that Lori didn't know where Carl was, either.

Blindly wandering the Greene's land was quickly becoming something she hated. And the fact it went from moderately light out, to pretty much pitch black, wasn't helping matters.

At least it was a distraction.

Thankfully, she hadn't needed to tell the boys the bad news, as they both had been listening the whole time (and in the process let Carl sneak away)

After making it all the way to the barn, and finding it empty (much to her confusion) she continued further out, until...

A bloodcurdling scream ripped through the air, taking all the warmth from her body with it.

Without realizing she didn't have a weapon on her, not even her wrench, she booked it in the direction of the scream. And was finally able to piece together who the voice belonged to.

" _Dale!?_ "

Spotting what looked like two people in the grass, she pushed her legs faster. When she was only a few yards away, she could tell the one on top of the other, was a walker.

 _No no no no nononono!_

In the future, this would be one of the moments she'd look back on, and lament her own stupidity.

Without a weapon, and without a thought for her own well being, she tackled the walker.

She and it tumbled off of Dale, but before she could look over to check if he was okay, she found herself fighting with all her strength to keep the walker from sinking it's teeth in her neck.

She whimpered as her fingers dug into it's shoulders as if they were made of clay. Unsurprisingly, her left arm slowly started to give out, as aches started burning along her forearm. Do to this, the walker gained a few inches, and by that point it was snapping it's jaws only a hair away from her face. She didn't even have the time to gag at it's breath, she could only whimper and try to hold out for Dale to help.

But he didn't, and she realized, with a shuddering breath, and thoughts filled with Mason and Toby, that she was about to die.

That's what she thought, until the tip of a knife burst through the walker's forehead without warning.

All of it's weight sagged on her, before being jerked off. She looked up, walker blood dripping down her face, at Daryl.

He kneeled down next to her, grabbing at her face in alarm, mistaking the walker blood to be hers.

She opened her mouth, but couldn't find anything to say, other than. "I'm okay."

And she was, until she looked to her left.

 _Oh god no._

Dale took a shuddering breath.

"Help! Over here!" Daryl called for help.

 _I'm dreaming. I'm having a nightmare._

"Hang in there, buddy." She faintly heard Daryl say.

"Oh, my God. Oh, God." Rick muttered as he dropped to his knees beside Dale, the rest of the group, minus the kids, following behind him.

The man they were all surrounding, was missing the majority of his stomach.

"All right, just listen to my voice. Listen to me, all right? Just listen to me." Rick ordered.

Dale moaned in pain, causing several of the groups members to cry harder.

And Nye, she was crying. She just didn't know it. It was as if she was in her own little bubble, one with silent tears falling rapidly down her face. When suddenly, without warning. It popped.

A choked whimper fell from her mouth, and she latched onto the closest thing to her.

Which happened to be Daryl.

In a way, this was worse than Sophia. Because not only were they all having to witness Dale's death, but because, to Nye, he was the closest thing she'd ever had to a...

She couldn't stop the small wail from escaping her throat.

"Okay, hold on now. Get Hershel!" Rick ordered. "He needs blood. We gotta operate now."

Nye tore her face away from Daryl's shoulder, finally looking at Dale's wound fully.

If she had been in her right mind, she would have said it was a lost cause. But when something like this happens to someone you care about, all logic gets thrown out the window.

She nodded numbly. _Yeah, blood. I can give blood. I'll give him blood, and he'll be fine._

"Hang on, Dale. Hang on." Andrea begged the man, and he nodded faintly in return.

"Listen to me. Come on- Okay, just listen to my voice. All right, please. Hershel! We need Hershel! Look at me. Dale, we're gonna help. We're here. Just hold on- hold on."

No one could bring themselves to tell Rick that Hershel wouldn't be able to do anything.

"What happened?" Hershel rushed up to them, stopping beside Rick.

"What can we do?" Rick asked him.

"Dale, it's gonna be okay." Glenn tried reassuring him.

"Can we move him?" Rick asked.

Hershel shook his head sadly. "He won't make the trip."

"You have to do the operation here. Glenn, get back to the house and get-"

"Rick." Hershel cut him off, putting a hand on his shoulder, and shaking his head.

Rick clenched his jaw, turning his head away. "No!"

She made the mistake of looking up in that moment, and locked eyes with a pair of wide, terrified, brown eyes.

Mason was holding him back, as Toby stared down at Dale with those wide eyes.

"He's suffering. Do something!" Andrea begged as they all cried.

Rick slowly raised his gun, aiming it at Dale's forehead.

"Oh God." Andrea whimpered.

His gun shook, and Daryl calmly took it from him, knowing the former sheriff wouldn't be able to do it.

As Daryl pointed the barrel down at Dale, the man shakily raised his head to it, silently begging for him to pull the trigger.

"'m sorry brother."

Dale tried giving him a smile, trying to tell Daryl not to carry the guilt of this with him. Before a loud bang sounded, and he fell limp.

Nye only had one thought.

 _Why him?_


	15. Weak

**Guess who finally got off her ass and made a cover image!**

 **Bit of a spoiler, but the one on the left is Toby, wearing a certain fishing hat, and the one on the right is Mason, wearing a baseball cap. You can guess who the one in goggles is :3**

 **Girl in the diner :** Natalia Dyer

 **Boy in the diner :** Jared S. Gilmore

* * *

A blanket was slowly and gently placed over her shoulders, and somewhere in the back of her mind, she registered that it was Glenn who'd done it, before retreating back into the kitchen.

It was the middle of the night, and everyone was once again in the house, but for an entirely different reason than before.

Before, they were discussing on if they needed to kill someone. Now, they were discussing someone having been being killed.

The two were similar. But also completely different.

She could still hear hushed whispers coming from the kitchen, as well as some stifled crying. Rick's whispers were the most frequent and firm, so she surmised he was taking charge on what they were going to do, again.

A soft sigh brought her attention back to what was beside her.

On her left, lied the nearly swaddled Toby, who was finally asleep after hours of sobbing. His cheeks were still flushed, and you could even make out the path his tears took before drying, and leaving behind a shiny trail.

On her right, slightly falling off the couch and holding his own blanket in a vice like grip to his chest, was Mason. Who was red cheeked as well, and breathing heavily out his mouth, his nose having been stuffed up from crying.

She slowly sat back, trying to get comfortable as her mind seemed to finally settle, and her eyes seemed to run out of tears. As her muscles painfully relaxed, she tried unclenching her trembling right hand, and let go of what she'd been holding with a death grip for a few hours now.

The scabs on her knuckles cracked and bled as Dale's rumpled hat fell onto her lap.

The whispers died down, and Hershel's soft voice spoke for a moment, followed by murmurs of agreement. Soon after that, people were heading upstairs and coming back down with pillows and blankets. It soon became clear that everyone was sleeping in the house for the night.

After everyone had their designated spot to sleep (surprisingly, no one but Nye, Mason and Toby were sleeping in the living room) the house became startlingly silent compared to before. Now there was only the odd sniffle or snore.

Nye shifted carefully one final time, before leaning her head on the back of the couch, tightening her arms around the two gremlins next to her.

As she closed her eyes, trying to banish the horrifying images that danced behind her eyelids, she realized a problem.

The lights were still on.

Sighing, she resigned herself to dealing with it, despite knowing full well she couldn't sleep without the lights off.

But right when she was beating the odds and drifting off (likely only achievable by sheer exhaustion) the floor creaked as someone walked in, startling her awake.

Despite knowing whoever it was, was trying to be silent, going off the way the creaking sounded, she was ready to bite their head off.

But before she could open her mouth, the light shining through her eyelids vanished, as she heard the flick of the lightswitch.

When the floors creaked again, indicating the person was leaving, she finally spoke up.

"Thanks." She whispered, the strain in her voice showcasing her physical and emotional exhaustion.

The creaks stopped as the person paused, before they carefully left the room.

Without the light, Nye wouldn't have been able to stay awake if she tried.

...

Everyone stood in a circle around the graves. And Nye picked at the end of her left sleeve.

The only thing she could take comfort from in that moment, was that it was finally cold enough to wear her heavy, oversized, grey parka. the sleeves long enough that you could only see her fingers, and wide enough to comfortably fit her "cast".

But the only thing that mattered about it, was that her right arm was _finally_ covered. And that brought a welcomed sense of calm. Something she'd dearly missed.

"Dale could-could get under your skin. He sure got under mine, because he wasn't afraid to say exactly what he thought, how he felt. That kind of honesty is rare and _brave_. Whenever I'd make a decision, I'd look at Dale. He'd be looking back at me with that look he had. We've all seen it one time or another."

Nye clenched her teeth as she fight to keep herself from crying, while holding Mason and Toby to her tightly.

"I couldn't always read him, but he could read us. He saw people for who they were. He knew things about us- The truth. Who we really are. In the end, he was talking about losing our humanity. He said this group was broken. The best way to honor him is to unbreak it. Set aside our differences and pull together."

Nye's eyes raised to meet a pair of georgia blues, who were already staring back at her.

"Stop feeling sorry for ourselves and take control of our lives. Our safety, our future. We're not broken. We're gonna prove him wrong. From now on we're gonna do it his way. _That is how we honor Dale_." Rick finished his speech strong.

Shane was the first to leave, and the group standing around the graves trickled off quickly after that.

In the end, the last people there, were Andrea, Nye, and the boys.

With a shuddering breath, Nye combed her fingers through Mason's curls, while rubbing Toby on the shoulder, his hair blocked from her by a beige fishing hat she'd placed there that morning.

 _"I think he'd like you to wear it."_ She told him.

Toby had been nearly inconsolable for an hour after that.

...

"Okay. We got Manny, Button, Mason's hoodies, Toby's sweaters..."

Nye trailed off as she sifted through their main duffle bag.

Lifting her head up and whipping her hair out of her face, she looked to the two eleven year olds who were leaning against the side of the van.

She whistled, gaining both of their attentions. And nodded to the duffle.

"'m I missing anything?"

Mason shook his head, while Toby thought on it, before giving her an annoyed look.

"How about your inhaler?" He asked leadingly.

Nye paused, patting her pockets before walking around the van, opening the glove compartment, and sheepishly pulling out her inhaler.

"One of these days you're gonna need it, and you're not gonna have it." Mason chastised her while Toby shook his head.

"Shut up and help me move this stuff inside." She grumbled.

"It's one duffle bag. Can't you carry it?" Mason asked.

Nye gave an exaggerated groan, holding up her left arm. "But I'm _crippled!"_ She whined, drawing out the last word and making a show of falling to the ground and laying on her back.

The boys sighed, but it got them to smile.

 _Mission accomplished._

...

It was when Nye was putting Mason and Toby's clothes in the dresser of the guest room, that things turned for the worse, if that was even possible.

"Nye?"

She spun around, giving a smile when she saw it was Carl.

"Hey bud, what's up?" She asked, putting down the last T-shirt.

Carl fidgeted before hesitantly meeting her eyes.

"C-can we talk... and you not tell my parents about it?"

Nye blinked, brows furrowing and crossing her arms. "That's to be determined."

Carl nodded, having expected something like that. "Well, can we talk somewhere else?"

Nye's brows shot up. "Like outside?"

Carl nodded.

Sighing, she picked up her monkey wrench, hanging it on the hook she put into her belt for it. "C'mon, let's go."

They walked out of the house, and Carl immediately looped around to walk to the back.

Nye shook her head, hoping whatever he wanted to talk about was way less of a big deal than he was making it out to be.

After standing behind the house and checking the area for anyone, he turned back to Nye.

He started to speak, when Nye held up a hand.

"Just a sec," She told him before reaching for the bottom of his red jacket and zipping it up all the way. "It's cold, you should keep it zipped-"

She cut herself off, seeing the weird look he was giving her.

She shook her head. "Yeah-Sorry. Mom thing. Continue."

Carl sighed heavily, preparing himself.

"Dale. It's my fault that he died."

Nye froze, before giving Carl a soft but reproachful look. " _Carl,_ you _did not_ cause what happened. It was a walker, and..." She trailed off for a second. "If anything, it's _my_ fault. I couldn't save him in time."

Carl paled, with a look of extreme guilt. "No! It's not! I saw that walker and I was gonna shoot it, but I didn't."

Nye's head shot up from her gazing at the ground. "W-what?"

Carl took a shuddering breath. "Before you found me in the woods, I-I saw the walker. He was stuck in the mud. I was-I was throwing rocks at him and stuff. But I was gonna do it-shoot it right in the head." Carl rattled off to her as she remained frozen. "And it-it got free, came after me and I ran away. That's when you found me, b-but If I had killed it, Dale would still be here-"

" _Hey."_

Carl looked up at her as she cleared her throat.

Blinking a few times, attempting to stop the tears coming, she knelt down, grabbing both of his shoulders.

"What happened _wasn't-"_ She paused as her voice cracked. "w-wasn't your fault. That walker would have gotten free either way. And any one of us could have been bit instead."

Taking one more calming breath, she stood and brought him to her chest.

" _Do not blame yourself for this."_ Nye nearly begged.

She felt Carl hesitantly nod into her chest.

Lightly moving him back, she reached behind her back and pulled out her silver pistol, before gently putting it in his hands.

"Be responsible with this. And tell your parents you have it."

Carl looked down at the pistol, before shaking his vehemently, and shoving it back in her hands.

"I'm never touching another gun again." He told her, and promptly ran off.

Nye stood there for a second, before deflating.

"Shit."

...

"Maybe we'll be lucky, and he'll fall to his death." Mason murmured as he and Toby watched Shane build his perch.

Toby elbowed him in the side.

"Hey, you two gonna help or what?"

The two turned to T-Dog, who was carrying another box.

"We already moved our stuff in." Mason told him.

T-Dog raised an unamused brow. "Yeah? Well this is some of the Grimes' stuff. So get off your butts and help."

Mason groaned while he and the silent Toby stood, both taking smaller boxes from the truck.

T-Dog glanced around before entering the house and looked back to the kids. "Where's your mom anyway? Haven't seen her much after she moved your stuff in."

The boys movements slowed, and they shared a brief look.

They knew why she seemed to just vanish every so often. That was just one of the ways she mourned.

Was it the best or healthiest way to cope? No. Especially not with kids. But, as much as Nye loved them with all of her heart, she was still learning, and learning to act fine for them, even when she was far from it, was something she couldn't always pull off.

Sometimes, she was great. Could put on a flawless mask and make them believe she was okay. And if she was okay, then they'd be okay. But sometimes, she couldn't handle it, and would need to walk away for a few minutes.

The only exceptions for this, was when Mason or Toby needed her. Usually, she could take some alone time (to scream, and/or cry) and they'd be fine. But if, say, Mason had one of his breakdowns, or Toby was having a panic attack, she would drop _everything._ All thoughts of herself and what _she_ needed were thrown out the window in favor of doing everything in her power to help them.

So while they were both mourning Dale, they knew she was mourning too. Just in a different way. And that was fine, so long as she was there to tuck them in at night and brush their tears away.

...

She thought long and hard on it. On one hand, she didn't want to betray his trust. On the other, it was his parents, and they deserved to know more than anyone.

"Rick, we need to talk." Nye warned him as she marched up to the porch, but stopping before she reached the steps.

Rick looked from Daryl to Nye, staring at her question.

She shifted from foot to foot, taking a glance at Daryl.

He got the message. "I'm gonna take a piss." He nonchalantly told them before walking away.

Nye wanted to laugh, she really did, especially with the fact he bypassed the house completely and chose to piss outside. But she couldn't, not with the way Rick was staring her down.

Feeling small under his stare, she said the first thing that came to mind.

"Would you consider me a child in a woman's body?"

Rick blinked, not having expected that at all. "What?"

She bit her lip, not bothering to take the question back.

Rick sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Honestly?"

Nye nodded.

"Yes. In some ways."

Nye nodded again and smiled nervously, as if that was the answer she wanted. And it was. "Right! So, as a child-in-a-woman's-body it only makes sense I'd make friends and treat things with them as a child would-"

"Get to the point Nye."

"Right." She gave a heavy sigh, looking up at him almost fearfully. "What if... I told you, Carl told me something he explicitly told me not to tell you or Lori?"

Nye flinched at the look he gave her. Immediately shutting down any notion she was going to keep Carl's secret. "Okay, okay." She took a deep breath before spouting off. "Carl took one of Daryl's guns. Went into the swamp by himself. Found a walker stuck in mud. Taunted it. Then it got free and he ran." She winced, preparing herself for what came next. "It was the same walker that killed Dale."

Then... nothing.

The silence stretched on, and Nye hesitantly opened her eyes.

She immediately wanted to shut her eyes again and pretend she wasn't there (as a child would) as he stared down at her hard.

But with a mighty effort, she swallowed her nerves and met his gaze.

"Talk to him." She outright ordered.

Rick opened his mouth, but in an act of either bravery, or stupidity, she cut him off.

"Not Lori. _You."_

Rick's jaw clicked as he shifted his stance wider. "Nye, I don't have time-"

" _Don't."_ She cut him off again, ignoring his glare. "Do not say you don't have time for him. He is your _son_. And I really don't think another lecture from Lori is going to stick with him."

While Rick stayed silent, either in anger or contemplation, she walked up to the porch railing, and put her pistol down.

"I took Daryl's from him, so he needs another." She stepped back, putting her hands in her pockets. "Give it to him when you talk to him." She not so subtly told him.

Spinning on her heel, she walked away, all while praying he didn't shoot her from behind in retaliation.

Thankfully, he didn't, and she made it around the house before being stopped.

"Hey."

Looking to her left, she gave a tired smile to the greeter.

"Sup Hotshot."

She could practically see Daryl's mental eyeroll.

"You know we have a perfectly good bathroom, right?" She jokingly asked, gesturing to the house beside them.

"What'd you wanna talk to Rick about?" He cut right to the chase.

Nye leaned against the house and blew a raspberry. "'bout how his kid's got major dumbass tendencies." She sighed. "I love the kid, but _holy shit._ Can't he just stay in the house, for like ten minutes?"

She heard more than saw Daryl shift beside her, and jumped when he nudged her with something. At first she guessed it was a box of cigarettes, and he was offering her one. But whatever it was felt metal.

She looked down, and blinked in shock when she saw it was his black pistol, the one Carl borrowed. The handle of it was pressed against her arm while Daryl held the barrel.

Brows drawing together, she continued to stare at the gun as if it were some alien device.

"Um, Daryl... That's not how you're supposed to shoot someone." She deadpanned.

She heard him sigh and mumble a few choice words before he gestured for her to take it.

A smile began to grow across her face, until she realized something.

Her brow twitched and she punched him the shoulder without warning.

He didn't even flinch.

"You dickweed! You were listening!" She accused.

This time he did roll his eyes. "Just take the damn gun."

She crossed her arms. "No. You were eavesdropping like a dick. I don't want your gun."

They both knew she was being difficult just for the hell of it, but it didn't make it any less annoying.

His jaw ticked, and he stared her down, still holding out the gun.

Knowing it was only a matter of time before the stalemate got boring, she gave him an offer.

"Okay, I'll take it,"

He seemed to relax a little.

" _If,"_

He internally swore explosively.

"You answer the question."

Daryl paused. "What question?"

She grinned. "The one I asked Rick. Do you think I'm a child in a woman's body?"

She already knew his answer. She always used to ask this to people she was close to, and the answers were always the same, and it never ceased to amuse her. If anyone had the right to say she was a child, it was Dar-

"No. Now take the fuckin' gun."

She froze, barely feeling the metal entering her palm, before he stormed off.

She watched, mouth hanging open, as the wings on his back got smaller and smaller.

"What- _what the fuck?"_ She asked herself. Predictably not getting an answer.

Shifting her weight on either foot for a moment, she toyed with the gun in her hands, all while wondering when talking with Daryl stopped leaving her irritated. In fact, she kinda felt... _Happy?_

She shook her head, marching away from the house.

After deciding Daryl Dixon needed a serious mental evaluation, she did the other thing she'd been debating on doing for the past few hours.

She was gonna say goodbye to Randall.

Whistling a festive tune, she strolled up to the doors of the shed, reaching for the lock.

But that was when she noticed the lock was gone. Pausing her whistling, she slowly peaked through a gap in between the doors.

What she saw made her cold.

Shane was standing over Randall, holding his gun to the blindfolded boy's head.

For the second time within those twenty-four hours, she did something stupid, reckless, and impulsive.

She kicked the door open, raising Dar- _her_ gun eyelevel with Shane's head.

Randall jumped violently, while Shane regarded her with a look of annoyance.

"Nye," He sighed. "It's best you get out of here. _now."_

He wasn't asking, and to her disgust in herself, she was shaking.

"No. I'm not letting you do this." She told him in a surprisingly steady voice. Still pointing her gun at him.

He sighed, but there was no real feeling in it. Almost as if what he was about to do was something he wouldn't lose any sleep over.

He rubbed his head, turning all the way to face her. "I think you should just put that down."

"I think you should stop being a psycho bitch." She snapped back reflexively.

Shane's face fell slack, and the only sound in the shed for a minute, was Randall's heavy breathing.

Then, Shane chuckled, sending shudders down Nye's spine.

"Y-you don't have it in you. Just like Dale. We both know that." He told her calmly, taking a few steps forward.

Nye kept her gun trained on him, and she refused to back up. But the closer he walked, the wider his grin became, and the shakier her hands got.

Her gun was now level with his chest, and the barrel was only a few inches away from brushing against his shirt.

She tried to swallow, as the only thing she could think as he got closer was,

 _Danger. Danger. **Danger** **.**_

"You're digging your own grave, Shane." Nye whispered in warning.

"No. I'm protecting this group." He told her plainly.

The gun rattled in her hands and she took a glance at Randall.

"You don't have to do this." She practically begged.

Shane rolled his eyes.

"I'm serious!" She said vehemently. "Daryl and Rick are gonna-"

"It won't work." Shane scoffed.

"You don't know that!" Nye snarled.

"Yeah, you're right, I don't." Shane nodded slowly.

Nye blinked, her gun lowering a few inches without her notice.

Shane leaned in. "But there's a chance. A chance that he brings his men back, and kill all of us." He hissed. "A chance they'll kill _Mason and Toby._ "

A chill ran down her spine, and the rattling of her gun intensified.

Nye stammered, thoughts scrambled by the possibility of Mason and Toby getting hurt. "I-But... Maybe-"

But before she could think of what to do or say, before she could _blink,_ Shane's right arm swung high, and _fast._

His pistol made contact with her left cheekbone. And she crumpled to the ground.

Niagara Elise Conner, was shit at saving people.

...

Randall escaped. Shane had a broken nose. And everyone was yelling.

But in the middle of it all, Mason and Toby were peering around until they were sure she wasn't there.

"Wait!" Mason hollered over everyone else's shouts.

The majority turned to look at him, and he clammed up at the attention.

"Where's Nye?" Toby asked in worry.

Everyone glanced around, as if they'd just missed her somehow.

Both boys started to panic at the fact no one knew.

"Listen, t-that's not important right now,"

Shane got glares of varying degrees. The harshest came from Mason, Toby, Maggie, and Daryl.

"What's important is we find that sneaky bastard." Shane implored.

"Shane's right, Nye can wait." Rick growled, clearly not liking it either. With that, he picked who was staying at the house, and who was going out to search.

...

 _"Hey squirt, what can I get you?"_

 _The kid, who looked to be thirteen, ducked his head at the voice of his waitress and picked at his ripped jeans._

 _"Uh, w-water?"_

 _She cocked her head to the side, hazel hair spilling over her shoulder. "That it?" She asked in a softer tone of voice._

 _The boy nodded jerkily._

 _The sixteen year old girl bit her lip, before spinning on her heel and walking away._

 _"Jules?"_

 _Julia looked up from the food she was cooking, and over the counter at her co-worker._

 _"'nother order?" The blonde asked, flipping another burger._

 _The teen nodded. "Water..." She hesitated, taking a quick glance at the boy, before turning back to the blonde._

 _"With a burger and fries." The teen finished._

 _Julia nodded, going back to making the food. Thankfully getting the order done in record time, as the kid looked ready to bolt any second._

 _After being handed the food and water, she quickly walked back to the corner booth the boy was sitting in._

 _"Here you go." She announced to him as she set the plate and cup down._

 _The boy jumped, looking at the food in shock._

 _He started stuttering. "Wha- I c-can't pay for-"_

 _The girl calmly sat down on the other side of the booth. "I figured. That's why he's paying for it." She told him, nodding to a middle-aged man on the other side of the diner._

 _"He just doesn't know it." She smirked._

 _She would have paid for it herself, but while taking his order earlier, the man had copped a feel. So she she felt it was justified._

 _The boy simply stared at the food for a few minutes, and only moved to eat when the girl nodded to the food expectantly._

 _She smiled in amusement when the kid took a monstrous bite of his burger, and before even swallowing the bite, stuffed a handful of fries in his mouth as well._

 _Her smile dimmed, however, when she noticed the bruise peaking out of his sleeve._

Knew it

 _Crossing her arms over the table, she gave him a tinder smile. "What's your name, kid?"_

 _The boy jolted, his jaw freezing mid bite. It was as if he forgot she was there._

 _He swallowed harshly, putting down his burger and refusing to meet her gaze._

 _Again, her smile dimmed. "Well, my name's-"_

 _"How'd you get that bruise?"_

 _She froze, and stared at him in shock._

 _The boy quickly caught on that what he asked wasn't okay._

 _He panicked. "S-sorry. I-I..."_

 _Tracing the condensation on the cup, she lolled her head around, taking in the diner, before looking back at the kid._

 _"My dad hit me." She told him, baring a blank smile._

 _The boy paled, staring at the brown and purple bruise going along her left cheekbone._

 _For the first time, the boy looked her in the eyes, seeming to try and figure out if she was lying._

 _"I'm guessing you're in the same boat." She mused._

 _He froze, eyes dropping to his lap._

 _Right as she was about to try and start a different conversation, assuming this one was going to lead into him bolting out the door, he started talking._

 _"M-my foster mom gets a-angry sometimes." He whispered._

 _The girl frowned in sympathy for the boy, and anger at the guardian. "You... you know you can tell someone. You_ should _tell someone."_

 _The boy scowled, staring pointedly at her bruised face. "Like you did?"_

 _The girl reeled back, before giving him a bitter smile. "Damn, that was ruthless."_

 _He met her eyes for a split second, and he looked like he was about to apologize, but she cut him off._

 _"Yeah, I haven't told anyone."_

Lie.

 _"But if I did, I would get help."_

 **Lie.**

 _The boy furrowed his brows. "But, then why haven't you?"_

 _She gave another bitter smile. "Because I'm scared."_

 _"Of what?"_

 _Her smile became pinched. "Doesn't matter."_

What he would do to me.

 _The boy looked down at his cooling food. "I'm sorry."_

 _Her brows furrowed in confusion. "For what?"_

 _He halfheartedly shrugged. "I dunno... I just usually say something wrong when talking to someone."_

 _She frowned softly. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I_ always _say the wrong thing."_

 _Again, he looked her in the eyes. "What do you mean?"_

 _She grinned in a sort of deranged way. "I'm a bitch, and I'm fucked up in the head. Leads to some pretty offensive conversations on my part."_

 _To her shock, he smiled at that._

 _Taking a deep breath, he shakily held out his right hand._

 _"'m Shepherd." He declared, voice shaking as much as his hand._

 _A wide smile split across her face, and she grasped his hand firmly, shaking it._

 _"Nice to meet you Shepherd. My name's Niagara."_

...

Glenn groaned as he wrestled the walker, who had once been Randall.

His and Daryl's search had seemed almost like a wild goose chase before the undead teen came out of nowhere and attacked them.

As Glenn flipped the walker over, he pulled out his curved blade and swung it down, splitting Randall's scalp in two.

He panted, scrambling to get off the corpse.

Daryl patted Glenn on the chest. "Nice."

Glenn continued to stare at the corpse before reaching down and yanking his blade out of it's head, the brain matter making a sickening squelching sound.

Daryl crouched down, turning Randall's head up and inspecting his neck. While Daryl did that, Glenn moved to his legs and patted him down for Shane's gun.

When Glenn's hand found metal, he pulled what assumed to be Shane's gun out from Randall's belt. But before he could say anything, Daryl told him something concerning.

"He's got no bites." The redneck told him, confusion laced in his voice.

Glenn looked up from the gun, eyes sweeping over Randall. "Yeah, none you can see." He tried rationalize.

Daryl looked at him. "No, I'm telling you he died from this." He said, nodding to the broken neck.

"How's that possible?" Glenn asked.

The two fell silent, trying to piece things together.

Glenn shook his head as they both stood, holding out the gun. "Found Shane's gun on him."

Daryl nodded, glancing at it before doing a double take.

Glenn immediately noticed how the hunter's face fell slack.

"Daryl, what-"

Snatching the gun out of the other man's hands, he gave it a once over before swearing explosively. Spinning around, he tried spotting something.

"What's wrong." Glenn demanded, the stress of the situation getting to him.

Daryl didn't bother looking at him, instead he continued to peer around, shining the flashlight at the ground.

"It's not Shane's. It's Nye's." Daryl barked.

Glenn froze. "W-what do you mean it's _Nye's_? I-if it's hers, that means-"

Glenn cut himself off, sharing a look with Daryl before spinning around and searching for any sign of her as well.

What started as the apprehension of Randall, now became the search for Nye.

Without realizing it, the two split off from each other.

Glenn's eyes ran over everything, trying to spot anything that might be a clue.

And he was too busy looking around, to see what was right under him.

As he took another step forward, his foot caught on something, and he came crashing down on the dirt below. He made a sort of high pitched yell as he scrambled to get up and away from the body he fell next to. Before freezing at the sight of who it was.

Sitting up, Glenn rolled the unconscious Nye over on her back, wincing at the sight of her face.

"Daryl! I found her!"

Hearing the leaves crunching as Daryl ran over, Glenn reached for her neck and felt for a pulse.

He held his breath, letting out a gush of air when he felt the telltale thumping.

But, his brows furrowed in concern when he noticed, that while her pulse was definitely there, it felt... Weak.

Glenn moved his hand back, writing it off on his hands being numbed from the cold. He gently started shaking her shoulder as he heard Daryl come up behind him.

"Nye, hey c'mon, you've gotta get up." Glenn urged.

Her eyes fluttered under her eyelids, and her lips parted.

"...Shep?" She whimpered.

The two men shared a look of confusion, before Glenn went back to shaking her.

"No, Nye it's Glenn, you have to wake up."

Her brows furrowed, and she let out a pained moan as she slowly awoke. Her eyes fluttered open, and she blankly stared up at the night sky for a few seconds, blinking owlishly.

"...Nye?" Glenn asked in concern.

Blinking one final time, she looked at Glenn.

"Hey." She croaked, still not seeming all there.

Glenn sputtered. "What do you mean "hey"?! What happened?! Are you okay?!"

She paused. "What happened? I-"

Her eyes widened, and she bolted up right, fury suddenly burning in her gaze.

"That mother-fucker!" She screamed.

Glenn panicked, trying to shush her.

Darting up on her wobbling legs, she looked around. "Where is he? I'm gonna murder that son of a-"

"Nye, Randall's already dead." Glenn tried calming her.

It did the opposite.

She froze, fury melting away and guilt taking it's place.

"W-what?" She asked faintly.

Glenn hesitated, taking in her expression with confusion.

"It wasn't Randall, was it?" Daryl spoke up.

Nye turned to him, before shaking her head.

"No, this was Shane." Nye growled.

Glenn looked between the two in shock. "What are you talking about? Shane said-"

"Shane lied." Daryl cut him off.

"I'm gonna kill him." Nye hissed as she glared at the ground.

"C'mon, let's head back." Daryl nodded in the direction of the farm. Before handing Nye her gun back.

She looked down at it, taking it without saying a word.

...

"Boys, you should get back inside." Carol called from the porch. "It's dangerous to be out here."

Mason and Toby ignored her, standing out in the yard and continuously sounding their 'danger whistle' Nye made them learn.

Mason took his fingers out of his mouth and turned to his brother. "What if she's too far out to hear."

Toby removed his fingers as well, shaking his head. "No, she always makes sure to be somewhere she can hear us, and vice versa."

"What about when she's on runs?" Mason challenged.

Toby glared at him. "That's different."

"What about when she'd look for Sophia?"

Toby gave him a stern look, glancing back to the porch to see if Carol heard.

It didn't seem like she did.

"What about _all day today._ " Mason continued.

Toby looked down at the ground. "She's spent time with us today. And besides, it's better we're not around when she gets upset."

"When she gets volatile, you mean." Mason corrected.

Not bothering to respond, Toby put his fingers back in his mouth and continued whistling.

Mason went to put his fingers in his mouth, when the two spotted three figures coming out of the woods, making their way to the house.

* * *

 **Is it just me, or does Natalia Dyer look like a young Sarah Bolger?**


	16. Guilty

"Ow ow-OW!" Nye shouted as Hershel cleaned the split skin on her cheekbone.

"It wouldn't hurt this much if you stayed still." Hershel chastised her.

Nye pouted, shifting in her seat atop the counter.

"Okay... Run this by me again." Lori said as she sat on the couch, head in her hands.

Nye exhaled harshly. "I found Shane with his gun to Randall's head. I confronted him and got _this_ in return." She gestured to her cheek. "Next thing I know, two bozos are waking me up in the middle of the woods. The end."

Lori sighed, shaking her head.

"It's not that hard to believe." Mason added from his spot besides Nye and Toby.

Lori nodded, running a hand through her hair. "I know, that's what scares me."

"He probably felt like he was doing the responsible thing, and Nye got in the way." Andrea threw in.

Nye scowled at her as Hershel put a butterfly bandage on her cheek.

Andrea held up her hands. "I'm not saying what he did was okay, I just think that's what he must have had going on in his head."

Lori stood, walking over to Daryl.

"Would you please get back out there, find Rick and Shane and find out what on earth is going on?" She practically begged.

Daryl nodded. "You got it."

"Thank you." Lori sighed in relief.

Nye watched as he left, suddenly feeling the need to do something. She stood once Hershel was finished and followed Daryl.

He stepped out on the porch as she caught up.

"Hey, I, uh-" She stuttered as she stood in the doorway, suddenly lost for words. Which was weird, and had never happened to her with Daryl.

She took a deep breath, looking down at the worn wood of the porch.

"Thank you." She rushed out. "For, well, _everything._ I guess I haven't said that yet, so I am now. Thank you."

It really was for everything. For putting up with her bullshit. For watching out for her kids. For not batting an eye at her scars. For giving her his spare gun. For _everything._

She waited for him to say anything, and when he didn't, she looked up at him, noticing he wasn't even looking at her.

"Daryl? What..."

She trailed off from her questioning, following his gaze.

And taking in the hundreds of walkers stumbling out of the surrounding woods.

The front door opened behind her, and some of the group spilled out, as more people started hearing the growls and moans.

"Patricia, kill the lights." Hershel whispered.

"I'll get the guns." Andrea said, spinning around and darting inside.

"Mason, Toby. Get your stuff." Nye ordered, not taking her eyes off the mass of walkers.

The two boys nodded, backing away before darting inside. They scurried up the stairs two at a time, and upon reaching the guest bedroom, the two grabbed their backpacks. Yanking the drawers open, they undid all of Nye's previous work and started shoving handfuls of clothes into their bags. Mason was sure to shove Manny in his as well, while Toby had trouble fitting Button, so the green Brachiosaurus' head and neck were sticking out the top.

The two paused before leaving the room, sharing a quick look before Toby ran back, grabbing Nye's inhaler, while Mason grabbed the book housing their pictures.

"Maybe they're just passing, like the herd on the highway. Should we just go inside?" Glenn leaned over the bannister to get a better look, panic lacing his voice.

"Not unless there's a tunnel downstairs I don't know about." Daryl told him.

Nye nodded. "There are too many. They'd just tear the house down with us in it."

Lori ran out to the porch. "Carl's gone! He he was upstairs. I can't find him anymore."

Nye went rigid and covered her face with her hands, heart racing and bile rising up her throat at the new information.

"Maybe he's hiding." Glenn suggested.

Lori shook her head. "He's supposed to be upstairs. I'm not leaving without my boy." Lori's voice wobbled.

Carol put her hands on Lori's shoulders. "We're not. W-we're gonna look again. We're gonna find him."

Nye nodded, taking hold of Lori's arm. "C'mon, let's go."

Leading the panicking mother inside, Nye darted up the stairs.

"Mason, Toby." Nye called.

The two came barreling out of the guest room.

Nye wasted no time. "Have you seen Carl?"

The two boys froze, seeming to realize that they hadn't, and how bad that was.

Toby shook his head, staring up at Nye with wide eyes. "Do you think he's-"

Nye didn't let him finish, not wanting to hear her own worries out loud. "Come help us look."

The two nodded, following her as she ran back down the stairs.

Daryl stormed in, followed by T-Dog. "Nye, need your keys."

She looked up from Mason and Toby, who split up to look. She started to ask why, then thought better of it.

Sighing, she fished out her keys, tossing them to Daryl.

"Crash her and I'll shoot you." She threatened.

"Not me you have to worry 'bout." Daryl told her, tossing the keys to T-Dog.

She narrowed her eyes at the other man. "Warning still stands."

T-Dog nodded. "You got it."

With that, he and Daryl ran out the house. And it wasn't long before she heard the revving of engines.

Despite knowing there was close to zero chance he was just hiding, Nye checked every closet and under every bed for Carl. She of course, didn't find him.

Beth moved the curtains slightly, and peaked out one of the windows. "The barn's on fire."

Patricia ran over, looking out the same window. "They're headed for it." The older woman informed them, referring to the walkers. "Maybe Rick set it to draw 'em in."

A door upstairs slammed shut, and Nye spun around on her heel, watching as Lori and Carol ran down the stairs.

"I can't find him anywhere!" Lori told them, near hysterical.

"So maybe he snuck outside." Carol suggested.

Nye shook her head. "If he did, it'd had to have been earlier. He's a reckless kid, but he's not stupid. He wouldn't go out there with that many walkers."

Carol nodded along. "He was here. But he must've run off, maybe looking for Rick- or went after Randall himself."

Patricia turned to them from the window. "Maybe he set the fire."

Lori's mouth fell open, and she covered it with both her hands as tears started welling in her eyes.

Mason and Toby bolted into the room, immediately gaining Nye's attention.

"We can't find him." Toby panted, adjusting his now crooked hat.

Nye grit her teeth, putting both of her hands in her hair (a task made slightly difficult by her cast) and in a fit of pent up anger and stress, she turned and kicked the nearest wall as hard as she could.

As the picture frames on the wall wobbled, Carol stepped forward and took hold of Nye's wrists, slowly moving them from her hair.

"You need to take a deep breath, and calm down." Carol told her sternly.

Nye blinked, surprised by the level-headedness Carol was showing, before following her orders, closing her eyes and taking one long breath.

She was right. This wasn't about Nye right now, this was about finding Carl and calming Lori down. And losing her temper would do the opposite of that.

Letting the breath out, she opened her eyes, a steeliness in them now. "We should go see how they're doing out there." She told them in a steady voice.

The three mothers stepped out on the porch, taking in the carnage around them.

Nye scowled when she saw T-Dog bulldoze a couple walkers. Painting Pumpkin's front in blood.

 _He had one job._

"I checked the shed. I can't find him anywhere." Lori told them shakily, further proving Carl was most likely outside somewhere.

"Not in the cellar or the attic." Carol listed off.

"He wasn't in his regular Hide 'n Seek spots." Nye added.

Lori put a hand to her head. "Why can't he listen for once?" She growled to herself.

While Lori and Carol started arguing about what they should do in the background, Nye walked forward, hopping up and balancing herself on the porch railing. Peering over as many undead heads as she could, she searched for Carl's signature sheriff's hat, and only managed spotting where all the vehicles being driven around were.

"We've gotta go!"

Nye blinked at Carol's shout, looking over her shoulder as Carol ran inside, while Lori walked closer to the railing.

" _Carl!_ " Lori shouted desperately, before pulling out her gun and shooting down some walkers.

"Beth, Patricia, kids, come on. We've gotta go now." Carol's voice carried out of the house.

"Lori. Nye." Carol called as others followed behind.

Nye jumped down, Mason and Toby immediately latching on to the back of her jacket while she pulled out her gun.

"Hershel! Hershel! Hershel!" Lori called, but the man didn't respond.

"Hershel, it's time to go! Come on!" Carol begged.

"Doc, we gotta go!" Nye threw her voice in the mix.

When he continued to ignore them, and just kept shooting down walkers, Carol grabbed Lori's arm and started dragging her away. Nye of course followed.

They ran down the porch and to the side of the yard, running and shooting down any walkers that got too close.

Everything was going relatively okay, until several walkers turned there heads, stumbling over, and latched onto Patricia, sinking their nails and teeth into her.

Beth screamed in horror as the older woman had her throat torn out, and began gurgling on her own blood. as Patricia was devoured, she refused to let go of the girl's hand, and at the sight of it all, Mason and Toby froze.

Without a second of hesitation, Nye stowed away her gun, and in a feat of strength only achievable with the adrenaline pumping in her vains, she picked them both up, Mason in her right arm, Toby in her left, and started running.

While they clung onto her, she huffed and growled underneath her breath at the burning pain in her left arm, but that was the least of her worries right now.

Her heart sank, however, when she realized she couldn't see Carol anywhere.

Right as she caught up to Lori and Beth, a total miracle happened.

A blur of orange barreled in front of them, running over the walkers in their way.

Andrea slid Pumpkin's side door open and leaned out. Barking "Get in!"

As the blonde hopped out, Lori shoved Beth in, following behind before turned to Andrea.

"Get Carol She ran that way!" Lori begged her, pointing to the east.

The blonde nodded, running off in the hopes of saving Carol.

In that moment, Nye made a stupid and _selfish_ decision. All the pain and guilt she felt for not being able to save Sophia, then Dale, and now Randall was churning in her stomach and poisoning her mind. After hearing whispers in the back of her head telling her she was a _failure,_ that she was _useless,_ that she was going to _fail Mason and Toby_ too, she was struck with an idea in that moment.

Nye numbly set the two boys down, and without warning, pushed them inside the van.

The two sputtered, and before they could say anything, she was pulling them in for a quick, and bone crushing hug.

"I love you two more than anything in the world." She whispered vehemently.

 _And I'm sorry I'm so selfish._

She drew back, giving them a teary eyed smile, before slamming the door shut without getting in.

Meeting Lori and Beth's confused and terrified eyes through the window, Nye plastered on the cockiest smirk she could, giving a wink for good measure.

It's effects were dulled though, as the wink caused single a tear to fall.

She slapped the side of her van, pulling out her gun with her other hand.

"Get them out of here T!" She yelled, voice shaking as she eyed the approaching walkers.

The van hesitated, before the wheels began to turn. She could hear Mason and Toby's shrill protests from inside, as the van started moving, mowing down a few more walkers.

Then it was speeding out of there, tires squealing and kicking up dust. As the taillights grew distant, she spun around and ran off in the direction Andrea went.

If anyone else was dying tonight, it was going to be her. She was so tired of failing to save people.

As she ran, shooting down walkers, she had to jump over a multitude of dead ones, which she took as a good sign.

She continued to follow the dead walkers, until there were none left.

...But, there was nothing.

She swore, shooting down a few more and looking in every direction.

They _had_ to be somewhere, Carol and Andrea had to be-

 _'Click'_

Nye froze, staring down at her gun as everytime she pulled the trigger, the clicking sound was all she was met with.

Body moving on autopilot, she stowed her gun in her belt, and grabbed hold of her rusted monkey wrench. She started swinging, and it wasn't long before she lost count of how many walkers she dropped.

But, there was no way she could keep it up. Her left arm felt like it was on fire.

Backing up, facing the dozen or so walkers shambling towards her, her back met something solid.

She looked back, and froze when she realized what she just ran into.

The horse stable might as well have had a halo hanging over it.

Running inside, she checked the stables, fingers mentally crossed.

She may or may not have let out a sob when she saw a horse still there.

The thing was rearing up and kicking, neighing loudly in fear. Trying to free itself from it's place tied up.

Not having time to waste on being cautious, Nye ran up and grabbed the rope.

Surprisingly, the horse seemed to calm slightly at the sight of her, and that was when Nye realized what horse this was.

"Buttercup." She breathed in disbelief.

The brown horse settled on it's legs, and hearing the walkers getting inside, Nye scrambled to get on the horse's back.

"Okay, okay, okay. This is fine." She whispered to herself as she untied the horse, all while wishing she'd had the time to put a saddle on her.

"Okay, here we go-OH!" She squealed as the brown mare took off.

The only reason she wasn't thrown off was the rope around the mare's neck, that Nye held in a white knuckled grip.

The horse burst out of the stable doors, knocking down and trampling a few walkers in its wake.

At first she didn't even try to steer the mare, meanly because she was too busy latching onto it like a koala.

But when she slowed, Nye sat up and tried urging her over to the dirt road to follow the rest of the group.

It resisted for a second, and Nye growled.

"You owe me! Now move!" She shouted.

Thankfully, "Buttercup" started galloping down the dirt road, weaving between the walkers. Going fast enough that all the shambling corpses could do was brush their fingers against Nye's jeans.

She shuddered at the feeling.

Nye sighed, petting her mane. "Thank you. And sorry for yelling."

Taking one final glance behind her, she watched as the barn came down. Ash pluming up and out as flames still licked the air.

Taking a shuddering breath she turned back around, urging the horse faster.

The Greene farm used to smell sweet from all the crops and flowers. Now, it only smelled like rott and smoke.

,,,

Lori stroked Beth's shoulder, looking up at T-Dog through the rearview mirror. "Hey, we gotta turn around."

"Straight back to that herd? Um, no." T-Dog deadpanned.

"The highway's back there. That's where they'll be. Rick will go back to where we first broke down- and Glenn too." Lori argued

T-Dog shook his head. "We're headed east, get to the coast. We should've done that from the jump. Look, we've got a shot to get out of here in one piece."

Lori scowled. "I gotta find Carl. He may have escaped with somebody."

"If you don't turn around right now, I'm gonna jump out the fucking car."

The two adults looked back at Mason, surprised by the seriousness in his tone.

The boys, after begging and screaming at T-Dog to go back for Nye, and getting refused every time, had finally fallen silent. And had been staring at the carpeted floor ever since.

Until now that is.

"He will. He's done it before." Toby told them, not bothering to look up.

T-Dog looked back to the road. "I hate to say it, but they're on their own. Your mom would understand. There's no way to even begin to start looking."

"You're wrong." Lori told him.

"Look, we can't go back. I'm sorry. It's suicide." T-Dog warned them.

"All right, then let me out." Lori snapped, sliding the side door open.

"Hey! Whoa!" T-Dog shouted as they came to a slow, screeching stop.

Mason and Toby looked up, and immediately started moving to get out.

"Then turn around, or you let us out right now." Lori barked.

"I should do it, you know!" T-Dog snapped back.

"T-Dog." Lori pleaded.

T-Dog sighed harshly, hitting the oversized steering wheel. "You're out of your damn minds." He conceded.

Lori gave a breathless smile, getting back in and closing the door.

Mason and Toby shared a quick look of hope as T-Dog performed a U-turn.

...

First, it was Daryl and Carol on his motorcycle. Followed by Glenn and Maggie. With Lori, T-Dog, Beth, and Mason and Toby at the back. All driving up to the highway and parking next to where Rick, Carl and Hershel stood.

Carol got off the motorcycle, and Rick shared a quick handshake with Daryl.

The van door slid open and Lori jumped out, sprinting to Carl.

"Oh thank God!" Lori sobbed as Carl tackled her. Rick grinned, joining the hug.

Maggie and Beth ran to Hershel, hugging him as well.

The two eleven year olds hopped out, heads swiveling around, trying to spot a pair of goggles.

But she wasn't there.

"M-Mason..." Toby's voice shook as he continued to look around.

Mason shook his head. "S-she's just not hear yet. That's all."

T-Dog, who stood beside them, nodded reassuringly. "I'm sure that's it. She'll meet up with us any second."

But the boys could hear the doubt in the man's voice.

"Where'd you find everyone?" Rick asked Daryl.

 _Not everyone._ The boys thought.

Daryl nodded to Glenn. "Well, those guys' tail lights zigzaggin' all over the road figured he had to be Asian, drivin' like that." He joked.

Glenn snorted. "Good one."

"Where's the rest of us?" The redneck asked.

"We're the only ones who made it so far." Rick told him.

"Shane?" Lori asked.

Rick shook his head

"Andrea?" Glenn asked in a hushed voice.

"She saved me, then I lost her." Carol spoke up.

"We saw her go down." T-Dog informed them, leaning against Pumpkin.

"Patricia?" Hershel prompted.

"They got her, too." Beth told him softly, leaning further into the hug. "Took her right in front of me. I was-" She took a shaky breath. "I was holdin' onto her, daddy. She just-" She cut herself off. "What about Jimmy? Did you see Jimmy?" She asked.

"He was in the RV. It got overrun." Rick said.

Beth gasped, turning her face and tucking it into Hershel's shoulder as she was wracked with sobs.

Carl looked over at the two red-faced eleven year olds by the bright orange van.

"What about Nye?" He asked.

T-Dog and Lori both looked to the ground.

Carol's brows drew together in concern. "Wasn't she with you?"

"She was..." T-Dog trailed off.

"But, we lost her when she... ran after Andrea." Lori finished.

"Oh my God." Carol murmured.

Glenn screwed his eyes shut, hanging his head.

Daryl's jaw clicked and he looked over to check on Mason and Toby.

The two boys were a mess. Mason was sitting on the pavement, seeming to be trying to make himself as small as possible. While Toby was pacing back and forth, tears running down his face, and body wracked with hiccups.

Rick sighed, rubbing his eyes.

"You definitely saw Andrea? Maybe she and Nye got out together." Carol suggested.

Lori shrugged. "There were walkers everywhere."

"Did you see her?" Carol asked again.

Daryl started marching to his motorcycle. "I'm gonna go back."

Rick held up a hand, stopping him. "No."

"We can't just leave them." Daryl argued.

"We don't even know if they're still there." Lori told him.

During the conversation, no one noticed the approaching sound. No one but Hershel.

Rick opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off.

"Well I'll be." Hershel's surprised exclamation interrupted the conversation.

The group turned to look at what had him so surprised, and froze.

Toby sluggishly slapped Mason on the shoulder, gaining the other boy's attention, before pointing at what was approaching the group.

The clicking of hooves against concrete was the only sound on the highway, as they all watched Nye's form bounce with the mare's steps.

Her hair was a matted mess, but still held her prized goggles on top. Her face had smears of blood and dirt, and her butterfly bandage was long gone. But other than that, she seemed fine.

As the last few yards between her and the group disappeared, she gave them a strained smile. The dry blood on her cheek cracked as a result.

"I'd say "sorry I'm late", but I don't wanna be a cliche." She told them breathlessly.

By this point, everyone was either grinning or shaking their head in relief and exasperation.

Two pairs of sneakers squeaked against pavement as Mason and Toby dashed towards her.

Her eyes widened, and she held up her hands. "Wait wait wait!"

"Buttercup" reared back slightly, and Nye rushed to calm her down.

"How the hell did you get Nervous Nelly to let you ride her?" Maggie asked in disbelief as she watched the other woman successfully calm the horse.

"It was mutually beneficial." Nye told her, before raising her left arm. "'sides, she owed me."

Nye adjusted herself, before sighing in defeat.

"Could someone help me down, please." She pleaded.

Daryl jogged over, standing to the side of the horse. "C'mon."

"Thanks." Nye put her hands on his shoulders and eased herself down. The second her boots hit pavement, the air in her lungs were forced out as two crying gremlins tackled her.

"Whoa, careful, I can't feel my legs." She warned them, feeling herself wobbling.

Mason let go, and started hitting her right arm repeatedly.

"Ow, Mason! What the fu-OW!"

"Why the fuck did you do that!?" Mason demanded through his tears. And Toby nodded into her side.

Nye softed, guilt eating away at her. "...I just wanted to help."

 _Because I'm selfish._

She blinked, realizing she couldn't spot a certain mop of blonde hair.

Her mouth went dry. "Where's Andrea?"

...

While Nye was releasing Nervous Nelly, half of the group watched her in concern.

After being told about Andrea, she seemed to shut down. Staring down at the ground and not bothering to share her two cents on what they should do now.

"Is she going to be okay?" Maggie asked as she watched her fellow brunette.

Glenn shook his head, unsure of the answer himself.

"I... I think she's guilty." Toby said meekly.

"Why?" Daryl asked, watching as she lead the horse off onto the grass.

"Well, she couldn't save Randall from Shane, and then she couldn't save Andrea from the walkers."

Those of the group who weren't planning things with Rick all nodded in understanding.

"She blames herself for Dale, too."

They all looked over at Carl in surprise, the brim of his hat hanging low, making his expression hard to discern.

Before anyone could come up with something to say, Daryl was scoffing, and marching up to her.

The dying grass crunched under his boots. As she looked over her shoulder she was surprised to see Daryl making his way over.

"Hey." She greeted softly, going back to getting the rope around the mare's neck untied.

As he stood next to her, he shifted his weight back and forth, biting his lip.

Well shit, he came over here fully prepared to say _something,_ but now there was nothing coming to mind.

Nye finally got the rope off, and didn't waste anytime shooing the horse away.

"Think she'll get eaten?" Nye questioned darkly as they watched the mare trot away.

Daryl shook his head. "Nah, too skittish. Probably'll run at any sign of danger."

Nye nodded slowly, humming in agreement.

Before he could try to think of something to say, Nye was spinning on her heel, walking back to the group.

"Come on, we shouldn't keep them waiting."

Daryl sighed, following after her and beating himself up for failing his self-appointed mission.

"Hey."

He looked up at her, wondering why she stopped.

She turned, just looking at him for a second, then smiled faintly.

 _Even if you couldn't think of the words to say, you still walked over, so-_

"Thanks."

Daryl paused, then seemed to get it. He nodded in return.

"Nye, Daryl! We need to load up!" Glenn called from the highway.

...

After finding out she failed at saving someone _again._ Something that added to the whispers of hate in her head, Nye wasn't in a good mood. But something about her little interaction with Daryl helped.

And while the storm cloud hanging over her head felt like a big deal to _her,_ it wasn't even a blip on the radar for the whole of the group. So for now, she would try her best to act normal. The last thing the group needed was her attitude bringing them down.

She was tossed back her keys, and the group all piled into the cars. The one Glenn and Maggie drove was ditched.

Nye started sighing at the familiar feel of the white leather seats as she sat down, but her comfort was quickly destroyed as she felt the seat adjustments T-Dog made for his much larger build.

"That fucker." She groaned under her breath as she fixed the adjustments.

"What's wrong?" Glenn asked from his spot in the middle, next to Maggie and Toby in the back (Mason getting the honor of front seat, having said "Shotgun" first).

"T messed with her seat." Mason told him, voice still nasally from crying.

Toby leaned over the front seat. "What do you expect? No one but you could drive with the seat so far up." He reasoned.

"So what if I'm short! It just makes me cuter!" Nye shouted in indignation.

Toby sighed and sat back, looking to his left at Glenn and Maggie, who looked confused.

"Yes, it is always like this. No, it never gets better." He warned.

For twenty minutes after that, they were blanketed in silence, only broken when someone yawned or sniffled.

Until Mason got bored.

Turning to look over the back of the front seat, Mason looked back and forth between Glenn and Maggie.

Nye saw the look he was giving them, and glanced at him and back to the road several times.

"Ace, don't-"

"So are you two boning?" Mason casually asked.

"God fucking damnit..." Nye muttered.

Glenn turned bright red, while Maggie gaped.

Toby glared at his brother. Already preparing the apology he would have to give on his brother's behalf.

"U-uh, what?" Glenn stammered.

"You know, 'Boning'. Are you-"

Nye slapped her hand over his mouth, muffling the rest.

"He's asking if you're sleeping together." Nye sighed in exhaustion. "And yes, this dipshit knows what sex is. He just happens to think it's the funniest fucking thing ever."

Mason nodded behind her hand.

"Don't answer." Toby advised them.

"Mason, I swear to Christ if you ask someone that _one more time-_ " Nye warned.

"He's asked that before?" Maggie asked in amusement.

Toby nodded. "Our gym and science teachers."

"That question landed Mason detention, but to his credit, it also brought two beautiful women together." Nye added.

Glenn shook his head. "How do you ask people those types of things and not feel embarrassed?"

Mason shrugged. "I'm autistic."

Nye's hands tightened on the wheel, eyes darting to Glenn and Maggie in the rearview to gage their reactions.

She cared about the two immensely, but if they had a bad reaction, she wouldn't hesitate throwing them out of the van.

To her relief, they just nodded.

"That explains _so_ much." Glenn said in a hushed voice.

Nye snorted, nodding along.

Looks like she wasn't losing anymore friends for now.

...

They drove for two more hours, in that time, the group members inside the van were subjected to every road-trip game imaginable (including Eye-Spy), before Rick honked his horn. The caravan stopped, and everyone got out of the respective cars.

"You out?" Daryl asked the former sheriff, having heard the engine sputtering.

"Running on fumes." Rick informed them.

"We can't stay here." Maggie said.

"We can't all fit in the van." Glenn added.

"We'll have to make a run for some gas in the morning." Rick told them.

"Spend the night here?" Carol asked, clearly not supporting the idea.

"I'm freezing." Carl's teeth chattered while Lori rubbed his left shoulder.

Nye frowned softly at that, glancing to her kids, who were wearing heavier winter clothes, whereas Carl only had a jacket.

She bit her lip, tapping Mason and Toby on their shoulders twice, a silent signal she was going somewhere, but coming right back.

They looked back to her and nodded silently.

"We'll build a fire, yeah?" Lori suggested.

After going around her van and fishing for something in the back, Nye came back with one of her many, _many_ jackets. One of which she thankfully hadn't moved inside the Greene home.

The jacket was white with gray stripes, and had Steamboat Willy on the back. The inside was also lined with fleece.

"Put this on." Nye softly told Carl, handing him the jacket. Getting a wide smile from him and a softer one from Lori.

"You go out lookin' for firewood, stay close. Only got so many arrows." Daryl told the group. "How you doin' on ammo?" He asked Rick.

"Not enough." Rick growled.

"We can't just sit here with our asses hanging out." Maggie said in exasperation.

"Watch your mouth." Hershel warned his daughter. "Everyone stop panicking and listen to Rick."

The former sheriff nodded. "All right, we'll set up a perimeter. In the morning, we'll find gas and some supplies. We'll keep pushing on."

"Glenn and I can go make a run now, try and scrounge up some gas." Maggie suggested.

"No, we stay together. God forbid something happens and people get stranded without a car." Rick said.

"Rick, we're stranded now." Glenn told him softly.

Rick sighed. "I know it looks bad, we've all been through hell and worse, but at least we found _each other_." He said vehemently. "I wasn't sure- I really wasn't, but we did. We're together. We keep it that way. We'll find shelter somewhere. There's _gotta_ be a place." He said desperately, looking off down the road.

Nye lifted her head suddenly as an idea hit her. She turned to Daryl. "What about that house we found?"

Daryl shook his head. "Too far back, and too close to the farm."

Nye and a few others deflated, and Glenn took a step forward.

"Rick, look around. Okay? There's walkers everywhere. They're-they're migrating or something."

Rick shook his head stubbornly. "There's gotta be a place not just where we hole up, but that we fortify, hunker down, pull ourselves together, build a _life_ for each other. I know it's out there. We just have to _find_ it." He told them, pacing back and forth.

"Even if we do find a place and we think it's safe, we can never be sure. For how long? Look what happened with the farm. We fooled ourselves into thinking that that was safe." Maggie reasoned.

"We won't make that mistake again." Hershel said.

Rick nodded, pointing off to an old stone fort he spotted out in the thin woods. "We'll make camp tonight over there, get on the road at the break of day."

"Does this feel right to you?" Carol asked Daryl.

"What if walkers come through, or another group like Randall's?" Beth asked.

Daryl turned to Rick. "You know I found Randall, right? He'd turned, but he wasn't bit."

An indistinguishable look crossed Rick's face, and he turned away.

"How's that possible?" Beth questioned.

"Rick, what the hell happened?" Lori asked her husband.

Nye stepped forward. "Shane killed Randall." She said, forcing her voice to be monotone.

Daryl nodded along. "Just like he always wanted to."

"And then the herd got him?" Lori proposed.

There was a long silence, in which Rick seemed to be debating heavily with himself.

Then, what he said next came out sounding as if he was still trying to believe it himself. Which he probably was.

"We're all infected."

Nye's stomach dropped before she could even process everything.

Everyone stared at him in shock and disbelief. But mostly in dread.

"What?" Daryl asked, taking the words right out of Nye's mouth.

"At the CDC, Jenner told me. Whatever it is, _we all carry it_." Rick told them hoarsely.

Everyone was once again silent. Tears welled in Carol's eyes, Daryl took a few steps away, and Hershel looked forlorn.

But Nye, her vains were burned as her blood ran hot.

"Why the _fuck_ are we only hearing about this _now_?!" Nye hissed.

Carol was right there with her. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"Would it have made a difference?" Rick asked.

"You knew this whole time?" Glenn asked in disbelief.

"How could I have known for sure?" Rick asked them.

Nye gritted her teeth, swallowing thickly. He didn't _get_ it. He didn't _get_ the kind of danger he put the group in by hiding this from them. The kind of danger he put her _kids_ in.

She took a shaking breath, putting her right hand over her racing heart.

He didn't know what kind of danger _she_ was putting them all in.

"You saw how crazy that mo-" Rick continued, only to be cut off.

"That is not your call." Glenn snapped. "Okay, when I found out about the walkers in the barn, I told, for the good of everyone."

"Well, I thought it best that people didn't know." Rick said, staring them all down.

After that, he walked away, followed by Lori. And when they both came back a few minutes later, they were walking with a heavy distance between them. Thanks to the couple's clear animosity and Rick revelations, the group walked in complete silence that no one dared break, even Mason.

And the silence stayed until they were all seated in the roofless fort, around a fire.

Nye numbly stared into the fire, a million negative emotions swirling in her head and making her dizzy.

Her fingers idly played with Mason's curls (something only she was allowed do) while his and Toby's heads rested on her thighs. every so often, her fingers would stall whenever she let her mind drift to what Rick told them.

She was broken out of her thoughts when the sound of a branch snapping caught their ears.

"What was that?" Beth asked in fear.

Daryl stood, gripping his crossbow. "Could be anythin'. Could be a raccoon, could be a possum."

"Walker." Glenn suggested.

Nye seemed to be the only one who noticed Rick's return. Though, Daryl probably did too.

Carol stood. "We need to leave. I mean what are we waiting for?"

"Which way?" Glenn asked.

"It came from over there." Maggie said.

"Back from where we came?" Beth asked her sister.

Maggie nodded. "Yeah."

"The last thing we need is for everyone to be running off in the dark. We don't have the vehicles. No one's traveling on foot." Rick ordered.

"Don't panic." Hershel tried keeping the peace.

"I'm not-I'm not sitting here, waiting for another herd to blow through. We need to move, now." Maggie stated firmly.

"No one is going anywhere." Rick snapped, almost looking menacing.

And not for the first time, Nye was afraid of Rick Grimes.

"Do something." Carol implored.

"I am doing something! I'm keeping this group together, _alive_. I've been doing that all along, no matter what. I didn't ask for _this_. _I killed my best friend for you people, for Christ's sake_!" Rick growled, sounding deranged.

Nye's eyes widened, and Mason and Toby lifted themselves off her lap. All three staring at Rick in absolute shock.

But it was nothing compared to the look on Carl's face.

"You saw what he was like, how he pushed me, how he _compromised_ us, how he _threatened_ us." Rick looked down to his wife, who refused to look him in the eye. "He staged the whole Randall thing, led me out to put a bullet in my back. He gave me no _choice_. He was my friend, but he came after me."

At this point, the shock faded away, and tears sprung in Carl's eyes. He turned, sobbing into Lori's chest as she tried soothing him.

"My hands are clean." Rick defended himself, and no one seemed to want to look him in the eye.

"Maybe you people are better off without me." He mused. "Go ahead. I say there's a place for us, but maybe-maybe it's just another pipe dream. May-maybe I'm fooling myself again. Why don't you-Why don't you go and find out _yourself_? Send me a postcard. Go on, there's the door." He gestured to the woods. "You can do better? Let's see how far you get."

It wasn't even a question in Nye's mind. There was no way she could keep Mason and Toby safe on her own, she had proven to herself that she wasn't good enough to keep them safe a total of four times now. And while Rick seemed to be having a mental breakdown, he'd done enough for her to trust he would keep them safe. So she was staying right there, and her boys caught onto this, laying their heads back down on her lap.

As no one got up, or even moved, Rick nodded.

"No takers? Fine." He took a step forward, staring them all down. "But get one thing straight. You're staying, _th_ _is isn't a democracy anymore_.

Nye took a deep breath, the cold air chilling her to the bone. But in the moment, Rick's stare made her feel more frigid than the weather ever could.

* * *

 **So, that's season 2! Yay, it's over!**

 **Jk, I kinda liked season 2 :l**

 **So I have a quick heads up. Depending on when I post this, it might be a while for next chapter, _because_ I specifically want to post it close to Christmas. Why? Because it will be taking place in winter (December to be specific) and will kinda double as a Christmas special. Oh who am I kidding, It's totally 100% a Christmas special. But don't worry, everything and everyone isn't going to be all hunky-dory. I will do my absolute hardest to keep things realistic for the show.**

 **But anyway, thank you to everyone who's read/favorited/followed/reviewed, I'm always so genuinely surprised when I see another follow or positive review and such. You may have noticed (especially if you read my bio) that I'm not a confident person, and posting the first chapter of this gave me my first ever panic attack, so when people actually liked it, it kinda blew my mind.**

 **SO THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH.**


	17. Christmas Eve

**I've made a _terrible_ mistake.**

 **I started writing a MHA/BNHA fic, and a Teen Wolf one as well. I'm screwed, because I'm officially in love with both of the fic's OCs. And now it's taking time away from this.**

 **(And in case you're wondering/interested, it's a Bakugou/OC fic, and a Stiles/OC one. Feel free to tell me if you might be interested in reading either of those.)**

 **Anyway, CHRISTMAS TIME! Or any other holiday you celebrate! This is officially the first original chapter, and I'm not kidding when I say, I've been working on this since I posted the last one... Yeah, '-'**

 **But it's out now, so enjoy!**

* * *

 _The sun was only just rising, the usual sounds of the hustle-and-bustle were absent. And for a moment, the whole world seemed asleep._

 _A contented sigh escaped her lips as she buried her face deeper into her pillow. The large TARDIS blanket she draped over herself the night before, now laid tangled at her sock clad feet._

 _Everything was calm, and quiet._

 _"I'm gonna murder you!"_

 _She sighed again, this time in annoyance._

 _Pushing herself up, she swung her legs over the side of the bed, tiredly rubbing her eyes._

 _"I didn't even do anything!"_

 _As she stood, she lazily grabbed two of her pillows, doing a quick mental checklist of what it could be this time._

 _She went unheard as she opened her door and walked down the short hallway._

 _Now standing in the living-room, she took in the scene before her._

 _Two nine year olds were aggressively fighting over a box of cereal while standing in the middle of the kitchen._

 _She continued to go unnoticed, until she walked between the two, simultaneously cutting them off from each other, and wacked them both in the heads with her pillows._

 _"Ow!"_

 _"Fuck-"_

 _"Language." Nye droned as she opened the fridge, pulling out a carton of eggs. Dropping her now unneeded pillows on the counter._

 _As the two immediately started barraging her with "he did this" and "he did that", she started making scrambled eggs, letting the two tire themselves out._

 _And it worked, by the time she was plating the eggs, Mason and Toby were both seated on the barstools at the island counter._

 _"So," Nye prompted as she sat down on the other side. "Would anyone like to tell me why I was woken up on my day off?"_

 _Both boys shot up, opening their mouths. But she held a hand up, silencing them._

 _"Calmly." She hissed tiredly._

 _The two deflated, giving each other heated glares._

 _Nye looked back and forth between the two, before sighing in defeat._

 _Standing, she put her now empty plate in the sink, and as she turned around, heading to her room to change out of her pajamas, something caught her eye._

 _"Have either of you two looked outside yet?" Nye asked, staring out one of the living-room windows._

 _"No?" Toby answered as Mason shoved the last of his eggs in his mouth._

 _"You might want to"_

 _The boys stood, walking over to her, and had their jaws dropped._

 _Everything was covered in a thick blanket of snow. And even from the height of their apartment it was clear they'd had it least a foot of snow settle during the night._

 _"Whoa." Mason whispered._

 _Nye and Toby nodded along._

 _While the boys gawked at the white powder, Nye slowly started grinning._

 _She clapped her hands loudly, making the two jump._

 _"Go put on your coats, boots, and gloves." She ordered._

 _Their faces lit up, and after they dashed off to do just that, Nye took a minute to bask in the silence._

 _It wasn't often the two kids argued, but when they did, it was almost always around this time of year._

 _Christmas was in ten days, and Mason's birthday was in four. And the reminder that he would have to spend another birthday without his mom always made Mason extra touchy._

 _She tried to ignore the pang in her chest whenever Mason would get like this. Tried to ignore the feeling of inadequacy._

 _It wasn't that she was jealous of Mason's late mother, she just wished she could take away the hurt he sometimes felt this time of year. Same went for Toby whenever he was reminded of his loses._

 _And as much as she'd like to deny it, anytime she heard one of them say "Nye" instead of "Mom", was starting to hurt._

 _When they came back, wrapped in several layers, all Nye did was grin, taking in the moment._

...

Nye was mad.

But more than that, she was worried. Not because of walkers or any other problem caused by the apocalypse, but because of something entirely mundane.

Icy roads. And the stubborn redneck riding a motorcycle on them.

Clenching her teeth, she watched as Daryl's driving seemed to get worse everyday. Though, he was doing rather well considering the sleek ice, and the biting cold that had no doubt numbed his hands at this point.

But, Nye already knew from experience that any mention of the fact he would be better off in a car, was immediately shut down by him.

And while she hated it, she understood why.

If he got in a car, he would have to leave the motorcycle behind. Merle's motorcycle.

So, after seeing Daryl almost swerve off the road for the hundredth time, Nye came up with an idea. One that couldn't be enacted until almost three days later.

They had been driving down a highway (one they couldn't avoid) when she saw it.

She slammed on the breaks, honking her horn.

The four people behind her, looked up at her in surprise, as the sudden stop caused all of Mason's playing cards to tumble out of his hands.

"What the hell?" Asked the irritated eleven year old.

But Nye was already out the door, marching up to a red SUV.

Which happened to have a storage trailer attached to the back.

Rick, along with most of the others made their way to the brunette, all sharing questioning looks.

"Nye, what are you doing?" Rick tried calmly asking.

Reaching down, trying to unhook the trailer, she rolled her eyes. "Stop sounding like you're talking me off a ledge. We need this." She nodded to the trailer.

Rick raised a sceptical brow. "Why do we need it?"

Nye huffed, spinning around to look at them and putting her gloved hands on her hips.

"Because with these roads, it's only a matter of time before Hotshot wipes out." Nye gestured to Daryl. "And you know we'll be in _deep_ shit when that happens."

She clapped her hands. " _So,_ I say we unhook this trailer, roll the motorcycle into it, and make one of us ride with Daryl."

She raised her brows, opening her arms in a 'what do you say?' fashion.

Surprisingly, Rick was on board quick, and it didn't look like Daryl was going to argue on it. Either he knew it was dangerous for him to be on the ice, or because he just wanted in on a car's heating.

Either way, the group worked quickly to empty the trailer and unhook it from the abandoned SUV. While they did that, Carol, Maggie, and Lori looked through some other cars, hoping to find some supplies.

And because Nye lost in Rock Paper Scissors to Rick (something she suggested) the trailer was hooked to the back of the van, and Daryl was placed with her.

Nye huffed a breath as she, Glenn, Maggie, and Daryl all got in and closed the doors.

Glenn and Maggie were once again in the back, and Nye blinked in confusion when she saw Toby had moved from his spot in the front seat.

He merely grinned at her when Daryl took the now empty passenger seat.

She looked up when she heard Rick start his car, and hurried to follow.

...

Maggie was tucked into Glenn's side as the two slept soundly in the very back. While Mason and Toby were sprawled across each other in the second row, both fighting over a large blanket in their sleep.

Nye attempted to fight off a monstrous yawn, but ultimately failed. Her jaw popped, and her eyes watered as she tried to blink away the tiredness it brought.

"Let me take over."

Nye narrowed her eyes, shaking her head while keeping her eyes trained on the taillights in front of her.

"Nope." She said, popping the 'P'. "Only I drive Pumpkin."

Daryl rolled his eyes. "T's drove it."

Nye glared at him out of the corner of her eye. " _She._ And that was a life and death situation."

"You need sleep."

"So do you."

The two fell silent, neither wanting to give in to the other's wishes.

But then, Daryl remembered something. Something he had been meaning to ask her about, but hadn't gotten the chance yet.

"Why were you so mad at Rick." He asked quietly, not wanting to wake the other people in the van.

Nye's eyes widened, and her fingers tightened on the wheel.

She cleared her throat. "He had no right to keep it from us."

Daryl could tell by the thinly masked fury in her voice, that Rick hiding what Jenner told him had shook Nye to her core.

As to why, he wasn't sure. But he intended to find out.

"It's more than that." He told her with certainty.

She gulped, taking a fearful glance at him.

He looked right back at her, waiting for what she had to say.

Looking back to the road, she debated in her head on what she should do. Should she keep her mouth shut, or, should she tell him.

It was shocking the latter was even an option, let alone an appealing one.

But should it really be that surprising? After everything the two had been through, and the fact he was the first person in the group, besides her kids, to see her scars, and didn't even pry about them.

This, almost felt tame. And she had a feeling she already knew how he'd take it.

And besides, if she told him, than she would have someone to help keep an eye on it. And maybe, if it got the better of her, he could keep her from hurting anyone.

Taking a glance in the rearview mirror at her boys steadied her resolve.

She took a breath, trying to force her form to relax.

"Did you know... that being malnourished as a child could cause any number of health problems." She started off with. Voice quivering.

Daryl looked at her in surprise, having thought she would stay silent.

"Like... asthma, for example." She said softly.

Her hands shook on the wheel, and her eyes stayed locked on the road. Not daring to look at him and see whatever expression was on his face.

"N-not only that. But they also tend to be smaller too."

He was frozen, staring at her in shock. This wasn't what he had been expecting. Especially not what she was implying.

Snow started falling, that, combined with the taillights in front of them created tiny, almost unnoticable shadows falling across her face, before turned on the windshield-wipers.

"I... I was always a weak kid. A total scrawny twig. And that was normal for me, so I got used to it. It _felt_ normal. B-but..." She trailed off once more.

It almost felt wrong. She was about to tell him something no one knew. Not even Mason and Toby. But there was no going back now.

"'bout two years ago, I was moving this heavy-ass bedframe up to my apartment. And I was actually doing fine- Well, I mean, I-I thought I was."

Taking a shuddering breath, she looked in the rearveiw mirror one more time, confirming everyone was still asleep.

"...I was only one floor below my apartment, I was lifting it up the stairs, then..." Her mouth went dry, but she forced the next words out.

"My heart stopped."

The sound of deep breathing and window wipers moving across the windshield were the only things to be heard as Nye let her words sink in.

She gave a sad smile to the road. "And I don't mean metaphorically. My heart literally stopped beating. Next thing I know, Mason and Toby are waking me up and asking me what happened. I went to the doctor the next day, and was told I have a dangerously weak heart, I was also told to seriously avoid heavy lifting, as a result." She gave a faint chuckle.

Finally, she built up the courage to look at him. And she wasn't surprised to see he looked shocked. But she also saw something she couldn't quite decipher.

"So, to sum it all up. I'm a ticking time bomb, who could go off any second." She told him seriously.

Daryl leaned back, severely wishing he had taken her up on her offer/order and went to sleep. Because now, he felt like getting any rest, _any_ time soon would be impossible.

"Shit."

"...Yeah. I'm even worse now that I've run out of iron supplements."

Daryl ran a hand down his face, swearing explosively.

...

Everyone sitting in the van was holding onto anything they could get their hands on. Listening to Nye's mouth put a sailor's to shame.

"I'm gonna fucking murder him I swear to God!" She ranted irately.

Rick had chosen to follow a certain road, hoping they would find a good place to hunker down for awhile.

The road he chose, however, happened to be the most bumpy and jagged dirt road Nye had ever had the displeasure of driving on.

"You've said that already!" Glenn shouted from the back, a white knuckled grip on the seat in front of him.

"Well I'll kill him twice than!" She snapped back, giving a soft wimper when she heard something scrape across Pumpkin.

Any other time, Nye would be taking in the sight of forest surrounding them with pleasure. It all looked like a winter wonderland. But she didn't have the time.

The car in front of them slowed, Rick giving a quick honk.

"Oh what now?" Nye muttered.

After all of the adults hopped out, it soon became clear why Rick had to stop.

An old, rusted metal fence gate sat in their way, baring a sign with the words _'Private property. Keep out'._

The group shared a look, though nobody moved until Rick gave the signal.

"Nye, get the bolt cutters." The former sheriff ordered.

Nye scowled, doing a sarcastic bow. "Yes, your majesty."

Ever since the "big reveal" from Rick, Nye made it her job to show how angry she still was at him. She'd follow him and his orders, sure. But any chance she got to heckle him, she took to it like a moth to a flame.

The lock on the gate was cut, and much to everyone's irritation, they all piled back into the cars.

After about twenty minutes of chaotic driving, the road started evening out, becoming smoother. And after fourty, they were once again driving on pavement.

"The hell's goin' on?" Daryl muttered, just as confused as the rest of them.

"We're supposed to be in the middle of nowhere." Nye murmured.

"I think, _that_ clears it up a bit." Glenn said, pointing at something to their left.

They all looked over, stunned at what was there.

A three story cabin, that could honestly be called a manor instead, sat innocently in the middle of the woods. Almost like it was waiting for them.

It looked like something that jumped right out of a story book.

"Oh my God. We crashed and died."

Everyone had the simultaneous reaction of scoffing and/or rolling their eyes at Nye's exclamation.

Rick's car turned down to the long driveway, coming to a slow stop in front of the cabin's triple garage.

Nye hesitantly followed, driving up beside Rick, and cut the engine.

Everyone but Lori and the kids got out of the cars. those who did get out, took hold and readied their weapons.

But if the open and empty garages were anything to go by, there was no one inside.

Nye glanced back at Pumpkin, letting out a pitiful whine when she saw the long and jagged scratch in her paint.

Toby rolled down his window, and leaned his upper half out.

"It's like the place we stayed in at Big-Bear." He said in awe.

Mason peered over his brother, looking up at the cabin.

"Yeah, only, ya know, three times the size."

What followed was the motions they went through everytime they found a house. A group of four would go in (almost always Rick, Daryl, Glenn, and Nye). And after making sure the place was empty, they would go about searching for supplies.

It was during the second process, that Nye found something crazy.

Whoever had lived in the cabin, was a complete Christmas nut. To the point, they had an entire room, just for storing Christmas supplies.

She carefully sidestepped box after box, making her way through the room. The fact she found all this stuff _now_ of all times, was so on the nose it was almost hilarious.

"Nye! Come down here!" Glenn called from downstairs.

She nodded, knowing full well he couldn't see her.

"Coming!"

After locating the whole group in the huge and admittedly gorgeous living-room, she set down her finds with everyone else's on the coffee table.

She debated on telling them about the room she found, and what day was quickly approaching. But ultimately decided against it.

 _What's the point if we won't even celebrate it?_

"You'll never guess what I found." Glenn excitedly stated.

Nye raised a challenging brow. "Hmm, was it a twelve inch dildo?"

Glenn froze, face flushing with color. Whereas his girlfriend snorted.

Carl turned to Lori. "What's a-"

"Don't ask." She ordered, looking slightly amused at Nye's guess, but also annoyed at the questions it would inevitably bring.

T-Dog shook his head from where he and Daryl were getting a fire going in the fireplace. "What the hell, Nye?"

She shrugged, an easygoing grin on her face. She regretted nothing.

"He found these."

The grin slipped off her face at the sound of their leader's voice. She slowly turned, and looked down at where he was pointing.

Her jaw might has well have hit the floor.

Sitting innocently next to one of the couches, were three large generators.

"We hit the jackpot here." Glenn grinned.

The majority of the group nodded along.

After the fire was started, a few cans of beans were placed over it to warm. While they waited, they all fell into a companionable silence. Something that hadn't happened in awhile.

While sitting on one of the overstuffed couches, Nye put her arms tightly around the two boys sitting on either side of her. Laughing softly as the shoveled beans into their mouths. With a contemplative look, she counted the days in her head one last time, making sure she was right.

She turned her head, burying her face in Mason's soft curls.

"Happy Birthday, Ace." She murmured.

The two slowed their eating, taking in what she said.

Another pit of guilt swam in her stomach. No cake, no presents, not even a card. At least Toby's had been at the farm, where they had thought they had stability.

 _But,_ Nye's gaze fell on Carol. _At least they're getting older._

...

It was paradise.

They had been staying in the cabin for five days. And for the first time in what felt like forever, Nye actually felt well rested. But, a big problem was starting to arise.

In the spacious kitchen, Rick, Daryl, Glenn, Nye, Hershel, and Maggie stood around an oak table.

A map thumped, and rolled out on said table.

"We need to go on a run." Rick stated, eyes roving over the map.

"You're kidding, right?" Nye challenged. "We're way to far out from anything."

Rick sighed harshly through his nose, still looking over things to try to find something of use.

Seeing their leader stumped, Daryl took his crossbow off the table, swinging it over his shoulder.

"I'll go out. See what I can find."

Rick thought on it, before nodding in consent.

Nye glared at their leader, before turning to Daryl. "What? It's freezing out there, you're not gonna find anything worth hunting."

"Bet everything's hibernatin'." Maggie added.

"Might as well try." Daryl argued.

Glenn nodded along. "He's right."

Nye stuttered in indignation, hands on her hips. For some unknown reason, the thought of Daryl being out there alone, scared her.

But then, she remembered something.

"You guys saw that lake we passed, right?" She questioned.

The group traded confused looks.

"Yeah?" Glenn said.

Nye nodded to herself, moving away from the table.

"Why do you ask?" Hershel questioned her.

"Because I'm going too." She said plainly, while grabbing and putting on her pea-coat.

Already hearing the objections from them, Nye went over to their supplies, and picked up her tackle box and fishing rod.

"I bet I'll have better luck catching fish, then you have for hunting." Nye explained, staring down their hunter.

Rick stood silently, assessing her.

"What if the lake's frozen?" Glenn asked.

Nye gave him a deadpan look. "Then I'll break the ice, dumbass."

"Fine."

She looked back to Rick, checking if she heard right.

Rick nodded, more to himself than to them. "Alright. You and Daryl will go out, and try to find something."

"It will be dark in just a few hours." Hershel warned.

Daryl nodded. "We'll be quick."

Nye grinned, feeling smug.

That didn't last long.

"No."

"You'll get sick."

"You always do."

Elbows locked together, the eleven, and now twelve year olds stood in front of the front door. Glaring up at their guardian.

Nye groaned, reaching up and adjusting her goggles. "I won't get sick, now let me through."

Daryl, who stood behind the boys (them having let _him_ outside before blocking Nye off) looked between the three in silence.

Toby fidgeted. "But-"

"This isn't up for debate." She told them sternly, before softening considerably. "I'll be fine. _We'll_ be fine."

The two hesitated, sharing a look before reluctantly stepping aside.

Nye smiled. "Thank you."

As she stepped out on the snowy porch, she looked back at her boys. She knew they would worry until she and Daryl got back, it would be better if they had something to distract themselves with.

A metaphorical lightbulb went on over her head.

"Hey, while we're gone, how about you guys and Carl go up to the room I said was empty."

Confusion replaced concern.

"Why?" Mason asked sceptically.

Nye grinned.

"It's a surprise."

...

 _Snow._

 _Niagara didn't care for it all that much. In fact, she hated it._

 _Snow came when it was cold, and when it was cold, her father liked turning on the furnace. Whether she was chained to it, or not._

 _But, as her feet crunched the white powder with each step, she found herself smiling._

 _Why?_

 _"Wow..."_

 _A grin split across her face, as she held tightly onto the smaller hand placed firmly in hers._

 _"Where are we going?" Shepherd asked, looking in every direction he could, without letting go of her hand._

 _"You'll see."_

 _After walking through the icy foliage for a few minutes, Niagara pulled him off to the side._

 _What the two were met with, was a simi-frozen creak, surrounded by more frozen pine trees._

 _"What are we doing here?" Shepherd questioned as Niagara let go of his hand._

 _She walked over to a seemingly random tree, but as she moved a bush away, a fishing tackle box, and two fishing rods were revealed._

 _She spun around, proudly holding the items up for him to see._

 _Shepherd blinked. "We're fishing?"_

 _At his unenthused tone, Niagara's arms lowered, and the smile on her face dimmed._

 _Shepherd, who was now able to get a good read on how Niagara was feeling by the expressions she made, quickly tried to bring back her chipper mood._

 _"W-well, I've just never done it before!" He rushed out, bouncing up and down nervously._

 _When her smile returned, he relaxed._

 _"That's okay, Squirt. I'll teach you."_

 _Shepherd smiled crookedly, genuinely hoping he would like fishing, so he and Niagara could do it more often._

 _But, right as the two went to sit, they were stopped suddenly._

 _"Where are you, girl!?"_

 _Niagara paled._

 _Shepherd turned, looking in the direction of the street, where the voice came from._

 _"What was-"_

 _"Niagara!" The voice called again, snapping through the air like a whip._

 _She grabbed Shepherd's hand, dropping the fishing gear._

 _"Run!" She ordered._

 _He didn't have time to question her, and honestly, he didn't feel the need to._

 _The two ran, further and further into the woods, too fearful to look back._

 _After awhile, they slowed. They panted, air coming out in visible puffs, as they both rested their backs on a pine tree._

 _"W-who... Who was that?" Shepherd asked between breaths._

 _Niagara panted, hands on her knees._

 _He was about to ask again, but froze as he watched her fall to the ground._

 _"W-whoa, hey! What's w-wrong?!"_

 _She shook her head, brows furrowing in confusion, as her hand came up over her chest._

 _The two stayed silent, Shepherd hovering over her in worry until she finally seemed okay._

 _"Are you okay?" He asked worriedly._

 _Niagara nodded, still looking confused. "Yeah, my chest just... felt weird."_

 _Shepherd nodded, before looking back to where they ran from._

 _"Who was that?"_

 _Niagara stiffened, and slowly looked up into the forest, almost looking like she was waiting for something to jump out at them._

 _"My dad."_

 _Shepherd went rigged._

 _Shakily, Niagara got back on her feet. "C'mon, I should probably get you back."_

 _He deflated, looking down and kicking a piece of snow._

 _She hesitated at the sight of him like that, but there wasn't anything for them to do. Not if her dad found her fishing spot._

 _She looked around, and her eyes slowly went over to the tree they had been resting against._

 _"Shep."_

 _"Hmm?"_

 _"You said you guys don't have a tree, right?"_

 _He looked up, staring her down with narrowed eyes. "Where are you going with this?"_

 _Niagara grinned, looking back up at the snowy pine tree._

 _"I think I've thought of a better way to spend Christmas Eve, than fishing."_

...

The two marched through the woods. Nye carefully stepped over any large rocks or branches, whereas Daryl somehow walked in a straight line through everything.

As they walked, Nye absentmindedly fiddled with her fishing rod, and the pillowcase she grabbed, meant to hold the fish. She had foregone the tackle box.

She glanced over, watching as Daryl seemed to be in his element.

She knew she needed to be quiet, but...

"Guess what day it is." She challenged.

Daryl did nothing more than glance at her out of the corner of his eye.

Nye walked closer, still making sure to walk behind him, so she didn't muck up any potential tracks.

"I'll give you a hint." She said, before she started humming 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas'.

That actually gave him pause.

Grinning, Nye swung the pillowcase around. "Ace's birthday is December nineteenth, which was five days ago. Argo, it's Christmas Eve." She explained.

He continued walking. "You've been keepin' track of the date?"

Nye nodded, and out of boredom, started trying to only step on his footprints in the snow.

"What do you think you'd be doing right now, if the world never ended?" She asked, unsure of why she was so curious herself.

Daryl shrugged, seemingly accepting that Nye wouldn't stop talking anytime soon.

"Probably be in a bar with Merle somewhere."

Nye hummed. "I'd be watching every Christmas movie on our list, with Ace and Smalls." She said thoughtfully.

Daryl gave her a questioning look.

She jumped. "Oh, well we have this list, full of dozens of movies and specials, and the goal is to get through them all. But if we can't, we always make sure to at least watch Home Alone, the stop-motion Rudolph, and the animated Grinch special."

Her steps slowed, as her mind drifted to the first time she watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

It had been with Shepherd.

As the sun continued to get lower, casting everything in an orange hue, on their way to the lake, Daryl managed to find a rabbit den.

"This is why I fish. Fish aren't cute, they don't stare up at me with pleading eyes that say "Please don't kill me!" and make me feel like a monster." Nye grumbled, unable to take her eyes off the three decently sized rabbits attached to his belt.

Daryl shrugged slightly. "Food's food."

Nye pouted at that, before looking up and around, sighing worriedly. "We've been walking for hours, it's going to be dark any minute, and we still haven't found the la-"

Daryl stood about two yards ahead of her. And maybe if she had been paying attention, instead of talking, she would have been fine.

As she was walking, her right foot came down, and what she thought was solid ground, wasn't.

You know that feeling in your stomach when you're falling. Everyone has felt it at some point. Whether be from tripping, being pushed, or missing a stair, everyone was familiar with it.

So, for a split-second, when she felt her stomach drop, she was confused. but it quickly became clear what was happening, as she felt her foot fall through the snow.

Due to that, her body was lurched to the side.

"Daryl!" She screamed as she fell to the right.

She would have been fine, mildly annoyed but fine, if there was flat ground on her right. But it was just her luck, that instead of that, she was met with a steep decline.

She was so tired of falling down hills.

As she tumbled and rolled, rocks and branches all the while scratching her, she braced her left arm to her chest, not wanting to chance injuring herself further. In the process, she dropped her rod and pillowcase.

She faintly heard Daryl shout her name, before she landed, and finally stopped tumbling.

Again, for a split-second, she wasn't aware of how bad this was, but she was quickly caught up.

A fast and painful jolt shot through her body. Her eyes, that had been clenched shut, snapped open, as all the air in her lungs disappeared. She looked down, body already being wracked with violent shivers.

 _Found the lake._

To her shock, and slowly, her horror, half her body was submerged in the icy water they had been searching for.

"Nye!"

Her eyes remained locked on the water. And somewhere in the back of her mind, she realized she was probably going into shock.

" _Nye!_ "

She looked up this time, and was surprised to see Daryl carefully making his way toward her.

By the look on his face, he knew how bad this was, two.

"C'mon." He urged, finally reaching her. He quickly grabbed hold of her hands, and started pulling her out of the water.

Her shivers intensified, as she was weighed down by her now sopping wet clothes.

She looked down. The water had been up to right below her breasts, so almost everything was wet, including her elbows.

Her mind slowly started getting itself together, and as the gears started turning, she remembered something.

A strangled sort of noise escaped her, as her hand shot down to her pockets.

What she pulled out, was a Polaroid photo, that had been laminated long ago, after too many scares with the rain.

She would have relaxed, if her muscles would have allowed it. She carefully put the photo back, knowing the lamination would protect it.

Then, she blinked, and found herself already halfway up the hill.

 _Shit, I'm blacking out._

As Daryl helped her along, she tried concentrating on staying up right.

While most people wouldn't be this effected this soon, Nye's body was small, lithe, and most important to remember, _weak._

She didn't realize they were back at the top, until Daryl stopped her. She looked up, eyes drooping.

"Can you walk?" He asked clearly.

With more effort than it had any reason needing, she narrowed her eyes.

"I-I'm f-f-fine." Her teeth chattered.

He gave her a hard look, but before he could say anything, she started walking.

And to her relief, he let her. It was slow-going, and Daryl made sure to walk behind her so she could set her own pace, or incase she fell.

It was... sweet. And it managed to make her a bit warmer.

It was by the time the stars were out, that her body made it clear how much trouble she was in.

She took a step. Or, rather _she tried._

Her foot refused to move, but the rest of her body hadn't gotten the memo.

She didn't even realize she was falling, until Daryl caught her.

He held her upright, and she tried telling him she was okay.

All she could do was mumble through her chattering teeth.

She heard him sigh, and swear harshly under his breath. and what he did next shocked her.

After swinging his crossbow onto his back, he leaned down, putting his left arm behind her knees, while his right went to her shoulder blades. And in one smooth motion, he lifted her up, and started marching them back to the cabin, carrying her bridal-style.

Her cheeks would have flushed if they could of. "I-I'm n-not a duh-damsel in d-d-distress."

He ignored her, trying not to jostle her too much.

Clenching her teeth in an attempt to keep them from chattering, Nye acted on impulse and buried her face in the crook of his neck. She felt him tense, but didn't move, finding too much comfort in the warmth there.

After that, everything was cut into segments for her. She'd blink, and ten minutes or longer would seem to pass.

Then, all of a sudden, her body stopped shaking.

Daryl glanced down, taking in her pale face and blue lips.

Nye swallowed, looking herself over. "That's really bad." She croaked

It was. Her body shivering was good, it meant her muscles were working to keep her warm. But the fact they stopped, meant she didn't have much time left to fix this.

She felt a low rumbling in Daryl's chest, before he started to full on run for the cabin.

In an effort to keep conscious, she looked up at the stars.

Once upon a time when she was little, she would try to count the few stars visible with all the light pollution.

"Used to dream 'bout moving out to the country. Where you can always see the stars." She murmured, eyes locked on the specks of light in the sky. "Pack everythin' up. Take Mason 'n Toby, 'n just _go._ M'be even get a dog."

He looked down at her, and in her delirium, she couldn't make out the face he was making.

"Always wanted a dog." She slurred, head falling down on his shoulder.

While he didn't know much about hypothermia, Daryl knew keeping her awake was their best bet. So with that in mind, he needed to keep her talking.

"Why'd you never get one?" He asked between huffs of breath.

Nye's eyes closed, and she buried her face in his neck once more. "...Landlord wouldn't let us."

He nodded, and before he could ask her something else, she spoke first.

"My chest feels funny."

Despite not thinking he could, Daryl pushed his legs faster.

Forcing her eyes open slightly, Nye looked up at him. She took in all she could, especially the look of urgency on his face.

She suddenly felt guilty. "Sorry."

His brows furrowed, and he looked down at her in question.

Her eyes slid back closed. "I was wrong 'bout you. Yer a good guy, 'n I'm glad yer my friend." She slurred even worse than before.

He continued to run, unsure of what to say to that. Ten steps later, he spotted the light of the cabin.

Before he could say anything, she lost consciousness.

...

 _As Niagara peddled, Shepherd stood on the pegs behind her, with his hands braced on her shoulders._

 _She swerved down several streets, before finally getting to their intended destination. The tires squeaked as she stopped the bike, and before it even fully stopped Shepherd jumped off._

 _"Go find the Christmas section!" She ordered while she chained up the bike, taking the moment to catch her breath._

 _After she finished that, she ran into the dollar store behind Shepherd. Quickly grabbing a cart._

 _The younger brunette led Niagara to the right, where a large assortment of cheap decorations awaited._

 _She nodded to herself, hands on her hips. "Okay, I've got forty-eight bucks. I'll grab the decorations, you go get some candy."_

 _Shepherd nodded, taking the hand-basket inside the cart, and running off._

 _Niagara clapped her hands and rubbed them together, before going to town._

 _By the time Shepherd reappeared, the cart was full of tinsel, and large bulb ornaments._

 _"What'ja get?"_

 _Shepherd dumped the candy into the cart. "Some Kit-Kats, Nerd Ropes, Pop Rocks, and some chocolate Santas."_

 _Niagara nodded approvingly, throwing the last few tinsels in. "Alright, let's go!"_

 _While he ran ahead, Niagara pushed the cart behind him. But she paused, as she spotted something that, for lack of a better phrase, was calling to her._

 _Checking and making sure Shepherd had his back to her, Niagara reached down and picked the item up._

 _It was a plush Lion, no bigger than her palms, and felt cheaply made. Though, what should she be expecting from the dollar store._

 _She looked back to Shepherd, knowing full well his foster mom wouldn't be getting him any presents._

 _So, she quickly grabbed a festive gift-bag, putting the Lion inside._

 _When they went up to the cashier, he noticed the bag._

 _"What's that?"_

 _She grinned, glad the cashier was courteous enough to ring up the Lion without taking it out of the bag._

 _"It's a surprise."_

 _The two made haste getting back to the creek in Niagara's neighborhood. Cutting corners by not bothering for red lights, which almost got them run over multiple times._

 _Thankfully, by the time they made it, it was still light out. The two retraced their steps, and found themselves back at the pine tree._

 _They dropped the bags, and stared up at it contemplatively._

 _"We didn't think this through." Shepherd lamented._

 _Niagara merely hummed, hand thoughtfully in her hair._

 _"I mean, it's huge! How are we supposed to reach up and decorate it?"_

 _Without a word, she leaned down and dug around one of the bags. When she stood, she held a spool of red tinsel._

 _She weighed it in her hands, looking between it and the tree, before rearing her arm back, and throwing it._

 _Shepherd gaped. "What are you-"_

 _But, much like in the movies, when bullies were toilet-papering someone's house, the spool of tinsel unwinded itself, and fell across the tree._

 _The two simply looked at it for a second, before reaching down for more._

 _And once they ran out of tinsel, they started throwing the (thankfully plastic) bulbs._

 _By the time they were done, they were both out of breath from laughter, and were sitting down on the soft snow. Neither cared that their pants were now wet._

 _And they could take pride in the tree, it didn't look half-bad._

 _As their laughter slowly died off, neither moved to get up._

 _Deciding now was as good a time as any, Niagara reached over and picked up the gift-bag. Handing it over._

 _He gave her a questioning look, and she nodded for him to open it._

 _As he did, and pulled out the Lion, he looked back up to her, his eyes glossy._

 _She picked at her sleeve, knowing that if she were to look him in the eye, she would start crying._

 _"Thank you."_

 _"Don't mention it Squirt."_

 _He sniffed, rubbing his nose on his sleeve. "I'm naming him Mat. 'cause his fur's all matted."_

 _Niagara barked a laugh._

 _As he pet Mat's fur, Shepherd furrowed his brows._

 _"Have you ever believed in Santa?"_

 _Niagara turned to her right, not having been expecting that question, and looked down at him softly._

 _"Not really."_

 _Shepherd nodded, and shocked her by leaning into her. "Me two. But I don't really care that much about it."_

 _She smiled, putting her scarred arm around his shoulders._

 _"But..."_

 _Niagara looked down at him. "Hmm?"_

 _His eyes remained locked to the tree. "Even though I knew he wasn't real, I once wrote him a letter."_

 _"What did you ask for?"_

 _He looked down, face flushing._

 _"...A brother or sister."_

 _Niagara felt her throat close up._

 _She turned back to the tree, trying to look normal as she asked her next question. "...Did he get you one?"_

 _Shepherd remained quiet for a moment, before looking up at her. "At first, I didn't think so. But then I met you."_

 _Once again, her throat closed up, as tears welled in her eyes. She buried her face in his hair in an attempt to hide them._

 _"Can I tell you a secret?"_

 _She felt him nod._

 _"...I once asked for the same thing."_

 _After a second, she felt Shepherd's arms wrap tightly around her._

 _"Merry Christmas, Shep."_

 _"Merry Christmas, Aggy."_

...

"How'd she fall in?"

Daryl stopped his pacing, turning to Glenn, who had asked the question. "Don't know, didn't see."

Every male in the group, minus Hershel, stood and/or paced in the kitchen. While the women and vet worked on Nye.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Carl asked worriedly.

Mason and Toby, who were seated at the table with their heads buried in their arms, looked up.

Rick put his hands up placatingly. "I'm sure she'll be fine. Hershel's helpin' her as we speak."

T-Dog shook his head, leaning against the table. "Man, leave it to Nye. I mean, she once said she'd do something like this on a dare."

A wet 'thump' sounded, and everyone looked up.

Carol stood by one of the counter-tops, where she had just dropped Nye's wet clothes.

"Boys, could you put this by her bag, and grab her some warm clothes?"

The two nodded, and shot out of their seats. Before they picked up the clothes, they fished around in her pockets, pulling everything out.

A Swiss army knife, a stray guitar pick, and most importantly, the Polaroid photo.

"What's that?" Glenn asked, spotting the picture.

They walked over, holding it out for everyone to see.

In the picture, were two people. A young boy, and a teenage girl, both brunette. The girl's arm was around the boy's shoulders, and with her other, she held her hand up and was proudly brandishing her middle finger.

The pose was enough to tell them the girl was Nye.

The boy's expression was slightly uncomfortable, put clearly happy nonetheless. Whereas the girl looked overjoyed, a wide smile spread across from ear-to-ear.

"Is that Nye?" Carl asked.

Mason and Toby nodded, setting down the picture on the table. They all leaned over slightly to get a better look.

"I've never seen her smile that big." T-Dog said thoughtfully.

Glenn nodded in agreement, before gesturing to the boy. "Who's that?"

The two boys shared a look, before Toby decided to tell them.

"That's Shepherd, Nye's brother."

Everyone was admittedly surprised by that.

Daryl leaned his hip against the table, looking down at the picture. "She has a brother?"

Mason and Toby shared a tense look.

Toby reached up, adjusting his hat. "Well, not by blood. But she said he was the closest thing she had to family before us."

At the look of discomfort on his brother's face, Mason sat up. "We don't talk about him much."

Glenn's brows furrowed. "Why? Did they have a falling out?"

No one quite believed that, not by going off the bright expressions in the photo.

Mason shook his head.

"He died. A long time ago."

Rick looked back to the photo. Glenn hung his head, while T-Dog shook his. And Daryl's jaw ticked.

"Boys! I need those clothes!" Carol shouted from the living-room. Breaking everyone out of their train of thought.

As the boys rushed to do as Carol asked, Daryl stared down at the photo.

He remembered, when they found her unconscious out in the woods on the farm. He remembered how when Glenn tried to wake her up, she had whimpered "Shep". So he wondered, with the fact he two, had never seen her smile like the one in the photo, if she was still wounded over the loss. But he only wondered for a second, before he realized that someone with a heart as tender as hers, would absolutely still be bleeding about it. It didn't matter if it had been years, Shepherd was her brother, and Daryl realized that he didn't think she would ever truly heal from losing the boy.

Mason and Toby ran back, carrying a large bundle of clothes.

Suddenly, Carl looked up, turning to Daryl.

"Hey, did you know about the room Nye found?"

He shook his head, watching the doorway leading into the living-room.

"The one you, Mason and Toby have been in all day?" Rick asked his son.

Carl nodded. "It's full of Christmas decorations."

Glenn looked up. "Really? Wait, what day is it-"

"Twenty-fourth." Daryl told them.

Glenn stammered, while Carl seemed to think of something.

Her turned to his father. "I have an idea."

...

The first thing that became clear to her, was the warmth. It probably traced back to being a baby tucked in the womb, but as she came to, the stifling heat, and restrictive blankets wrapped around her didn't trigger her claustrophobia, but rather made her feel safe, protected.

The next thing she noticed, was the voices.

"We're telling you, it's crooked."

Mason.

"What? No it's not."

Glenn.

"Then come down here and look."

T-Dog.

"I don't know, I like crooked tree-toppers, it adds some charm."

Lori.

And Nye had to agree, crooked tree-toppers were char...

 _Tree-toppers._

Her eyelids fluttered, as she tried forcing them open. They felt dry, and as she got them to flutter up, she immediately had to clench them shut, lights blinding her and sending sharp pain to the back of her head.

She waited a few more seconds, before trying again. This time, she got them half open, and looked at what was going on.

For a moment, she simply comically blinked. Totally unbelieving in what she was seeing.

Her boys, Carl, Beth, and Glenn were all decorating a Christmas tree. Lori, Carol and T-Dog sat on one of the couches, pulling tinsel and lights out of boxes and untangling them. And Daryl, Maggie, and Rick were taking the untangled strings and hanging them all up around the room.

But the things that made her stiffen in shock, and question her sanity, were the lights, and stereo.

Both of which, were on.

The lights twinkled, and the stereo was softly playing 'Jingle Bells'.

"W-what...?" Nye whispered hoarsely, unsure of what else to say.

"How are you feeling?"

She looked down in the direction of her legs, noticing she was laid out on one of the couches, and simply blinked at Hershel.

He was sitting by her feet, most likely to watch over her.

"I really did die this time." She murmured, sounding slightly fearful.

Hershel smiled good-naturedly, patting her leg, though she could barely feel it through the mountain of blankets. "You're not dead Niagara, though not for lack of trying."

"Nye!"

Two deadweights dropped on her, knocking the air out of her lungs and causing her to cough. Mason and Toby quickly started smothering her in hugs.

Everyone watched, with smiles ranging from ear-to-ear grins, to a faint upturn.

"Boys, be careful! What did Hershel say about being gentle with her?" Carol chastised them.

The two reluctantly pulled back, looking sheepish.

Nye smiled, shakily pulling her hands out of the blankets and grabbing theirs.

Mason looked around the room, before grumbling. "You were supposed to stay knocked-out long enough for us to set it all up."

Toby elbowed him.

"Yeah, so uh... how do we have power?" She cautiously asked.

Glenn grinned at her, nodding to the corner of the room.

All the cords attached to the powered things, lead back and up into the smallest of the generators.

Her eyes widened. "B-but... Rick-"

"Thought it might not hurt."

She turned her head, staring at the former sheriff.

"But, the generator..." She trailed off.

Rick wasn't looking at her, but rather Carl. As the boy was busy hanging ornaments in branches, a childish grin on his face.

Nye softened, feeling some of her anger towards their leader ebb away. The look on his face while he watched Carl was the same one she held for Mason and Toby.

After watching the rest of the indoor decorations be set up, Nye was surprised once again.

Glenn had left the room, and came back with a box of DVDs.

Everyone quickly found a spot to sit. Nye sat up with a little help, and had Toby on her right, and Mason on her left. Maggie, Beth, and Hershel were all seated together. The Grimes' sat together, Carl seated between his parents, and Carol sitting next to them. Glenn and T-Dog grabbed some pillows and blankets, making a palette on the floor to lay on.

To Nye's surprise, and for some reason, slight relief, Daryl sat down next to her and the boys, sitting to the left of Mason.

After everyone was seated, Glenn plugged in the television and DVD player.

Nye felt warmth spread in her stomach as he put in Home Alone.

...

 _"Keep the change, ya filthy animal."_

"I wanna be Kevin McCallister when I grow up." Nye said wistfully, after mouthing along to the iconic line.

Mason and Toby snickered, while Glenn turned his head to look up at her.

"You're so weird."

Without taking her eyes off the screen, she reached down and flicked her friend in the ear.

After Home Alone, A Christmas Story was put in (as it was the Grimes' tradition to watch it) and after that, the animated Grinch. The last DVD put in, was a box-set of all the Rankin Bass specials.

That was around this time that people started dropping like flies.

First, it was the kids, then Lori, then Hershel. Glenn passed out not long after singing along all the way through 'You're a Mean One Mr Grinch', and everyone else soon followed.

All but Nye and Daryl.

As they silently watched Rudolph and his friends' jerky movements, Daryl reached into his pocket, pulling something out and handing it to Nye.

She looked down, and stiffened in surprise. Carefully taking the photo out of his hands. Staring down at it, despite the sharp pain in her chest she felt whenever she looked at Shepherd's face.

"The boys tell you?"

He nodded.

"'m sorry."

She looked up at him. "What do you have to be sorry for?"

He looked down at the picture.

"Sorry you lost 'em."

Nye blinked, and realized tears were beginning to pool in her eyes. "Oh, yeah..." She sniffed, staring down at the tops of her boys' heads. "It... It still hurts, but so long as I have them, I'll be fine."

He nodded again, watching the two boys breath deeply, sound asleep.

"...You know, I filed for adoption."

He looked back up at her, as she ran her fingers through Mason's curls, and carefully took off Toby's hat. "Right before things went to shit. I did all the paperwork needed, and I was _this_ close to legally adopting them. But I underestimated how much the world loves to screw me over." She scoffed bitterly.

He was silent for a second, trying to find the right way to say what he wanted.

"I don't think it matters."

She turned to him, eyes narrowed.

"You're already their mom."

Her eyes widened, and the tears returned.

"I-"

Before she could say anything, the TV, which had been playing Rudolph's credits, shut off. And the lights around the room slowly dimmed. They had used up the generator. The only lighting left was from the fire place.

She sucked in a shuddering breath, taking comfort in the fact he couldn't see her face well in this lighting.

" _Thank you_."

If he heard the crack in her voice, followed by sniffles, he didn't bring it up.

When she finally fell asleep, her head lolled to the left. landing on a leather clad shoulder. And a few seconds later, her goggles were carefully taken off.

For their first Christmas in the apocalypse, it wasn't half-bad. In fact, it was in Nye's top five best.

Though, she could have gone without the hypothermia.

* * *

 **The reason Shepherd called her "Aggy", is because her name is Ni-AG-ara. And the reason she's "Nye" to everyone else, is because Shepherd had exclusive rights to "Aggy".**

 **And yes, incase you were wondering, Shepherd is autistic. He's actually the autistic friend Nye said she had growing up. He's one of the reasons Nye can handle Mason so well. And if anyone goes into the reviews to berate my portrayal of autism, know that I'm basing Mason and Shepherd's characteristics off of my brother, who is autistic.**

 **Anyway, hope you liked it. Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! And all that jazz! :D**


	18. Change

A lot of things change. Especially over time.

By now, Nye had no idea what the date was, she had lost track months ago. But something that helped show off the passage of time, was the group itself.

Everyone had changed in some way, shape, or form. Rick grew scruff, while Hershel grew a full on beard. Carl's hair got longer, same with Mason and Toby's. Mason's top two adult teeth finally came in, much to the kid's delight. Glenn had retired his baseball cap months ago, placing it on the head of the curly haired twelve year-old, and Mason almost never took it off. But Lori was the biggest change. In the most literal way.

The woman was fit to burst any second. Which only helped tensions rise.

As for Nye, her hazel hair now reached her shoulder blades, and was sporting streaks of blonde, put there by the sun. The sun had also aided in a smattering of freckles on her nose and cheeks. And her makeshift cast had been taken off as winter had come to a close. But the things that remained exactly the same, were her goggles, and red monkey-wrench.

And, of course, there were the personal changes as well.

The Grimes barely talked to each other. Lori was mad at Rick, Rick was mad at Lori, and Carl was mad at them both for being mad at each other. Nye had managed to forgive their self-appointed leader. Carol had broken out of her shell, same as Beth. Mason was now letting more people in than just his mom and brother. Toby was getting tougher, but still held his sweeter tendencies. And Glenn and Maggie were closer, of course.

But, there was one change that had surprised many of them.

Nye watched, not daring to make a sound.

An owl, sitting innocently on the windowsill, was suddenly hit and killed by a crossbow bolt.

"As a Potter-head, who's still getting over Hedwig, that felt personal." She mumbled, arms crossed as she leaned against the room's doorway.

Daryl rolled his eyes, walking past her through the door, plucking the bird's feathers. "Man's gotta eat."

It was her turn to roll her eyes, though it was done with fondness, as she followed after him.

The biggest change, had to have been the one between Nye and Daryl. Back at the Atlanta camp, and even early on at the farm, if you had told her that _Daryl Dixon_ would become one of the most important people in her life, she would have steered clear of you from that point on. But lo-and-behold, it happened. He was now on the same level as Glenn, maybe even higher.

The two split off, and Nye wondered into the kitchen.

She leaned against the counter, watching Carl go through the shelves.

He straightened up, holding two cans. He looked back between Nye and the cans, eyeing the labels.

Dog food.

She looked down at the friendly looking puppy on the labels, then gave Carl an encouraging smile, patting his shoulder.

"Good find, Chief."

It wasn't a lie. While many people would turn their nose up at dog food, Nye had no objections, as from the group's standpoint, they really didn't have many options.

At the praise, which he had sadly been lacking in recently, he smiled up at her. In that moment, she realized just how tall he was getting.

They went into the living-room of the house, where everyone else was.

Nye leaned against the doorway, sharing nods and small smiles with her kids.

Everyone watched in a sombre silence as Carl eagerly opened one of the cans.

As she watched, Nye was taken back to a time, one she sometimes wished to forget. A time where a little girl's father had blown all the money on booze and gambling, leaving the cabinets and fridge to empty. That little girl had gone two days without eating, before she found a half empty bag of dry dog food in the backyard. She devoured the bag in one sitting.

Nye swallowed thickly, vividly remembering how it had tasted.

Just as Carl got it open and put a spoon in the thick meat, Rick stormed over. The former Sheriff read the label, before throwing the can violently into the empty fireplace.

Everyone flinched, even Daryl stopped picking off the owl's feathers, and watched Rick warily.

A thick blanket of tense silence fell over them, no one dared break it.

Until T-Dog spotted the Walkers outside the windows.

"Psst." He nodded at the panes of glass.

Everyone stood, and they were once again on the move. The bags that were just brought in moments ago, were hastily grabbed.

They all ran out of the house in a single file line, Glenn in the front and Rick in the rear.

By now, they had acquired another car, and Daryl was once again riding the motorcycle. So Nye was back to riding only with her boys. She'd be lying if she said she didn't miss the extra company.

The vehicles were started, and everyone punched it out of there, away from the small herd of Walkers coming their way.

" _On the road again, just can't wait to get on the road again..._ " Nye bitterly sang under her breath.

...

They stopped the cars in the middle of the road, everyone getting out, and watching for Walkers.

Maggie rolled out a map on the hood of one of the cars. Rick walked over, looking down at it over the brunette's shoulder.

Hershel, Daryl and T-Dog joined, staring down at the piece of paper.

"We've got no place left to go." T-Dog said worriedly.

Maggie pointed down at a part of the map. "When this herd meets up with this one, we'll be cut off, we'll never make it south."

Daryl leaned against the car, turning to Glenn. "What do you say, it's about 150 head?"

Glenn shook his head. "That was last week, could be twice that now."

While they discussed how royally screwed they all are, Nye walked over to the three brunette boys, who were keeping watch.

She stood behind them, crossing her arms.

"Ammo?"

Without turning to look at her, all three boys answered.

"Four."

"Full round"

"Same"

Nye sighed, exasperated smile on her face. "Same to which, Ace?"

He looked back this time. "I've got four left."

She nodded, taking turns rubbing the three's heads, despite hats blocking her off from each one.

Walking back, she caught the tail-end of Rick's conversation with Hershel.

"She can't take much more of this moving about." The vet warned him, watching Lori sit in one of the cars through the windshield.

"Well, what else can we do, let her give birth on the run?" Rick replied.

Nye raised her hand. "As someone who's specially trained to deliver babies, I'd like to think I can do it in the backseat of a car."

Rick gave her a tired look. "That doesn't mean it _should_ be done in the backseat of a car."

At that, she gave a nod. "Fair point. Sorry."

Rick closed his eyes, giving a sigh. "It's fine."

Hershel put his hand on Rick's shoulder. "But do you see a way around that?" Then, he walked away.

Daryl bent down, drawing back the string on his crossbow. "Hey, while the others wash their panties, let's go hunt. That owl didn't exactly hit the spot."

Rick nodded, whereas Nye held up her hands helplessly.

"Sorry dude, I've got two boys, and when I get the chance to wash their clothes, _I take it._ "

He nodded, turning around to follow Rick. But before he could walk away, Nye opened her mouth again.

"Hey."

Daryl looked back at her.

She forced a smile onto her face. "Be safe."

She knew that the group had probably heard her say that exact phrase a million times by now. It was something she started to say after the farm, whenever someone was going out. But she still made sure to always say it.

And like every time before, he replied with the same thing.

"Always am."

...

Nye dunked one of Mason's Walker-blood stained shirts into the stream, uselessly hoping it would come out. She turned her head to the right, checking on Lori. "How you feeling, Sweetcheeks?"

The pregnant woman laughed softly at the term of endearment.

During the hellish months on the road, the two women had grown cloer, despite the two still having vastly different opinions on certain things.

"Fine. Though the baby is moving around quite a lot." Lori said warily.

Nye waved a disregarding hand. "Totally normal. Baby-Grimes is just an active little shit." She said fondly, already feeling attached to the unborn infant.

Glenn snorted over his clothes.

"Nye!" Carol chastised a few feet away, though it lost it's punch do to the giggles that followed.

Lori chuckled softly.

The sound of twigs breaking and leafs crunching caused everyone to look up from their laundry and grab their weapons, the teasing mood now gone.

Though, it turned out to be a false-alarm. T-Dog and the three boys all stepped through the thick woods.

Carl nodded to the road. "Dad and Daryl are back."

The news that greeted the group when they approached the leader and redneck, was something that seemed too good to be true.

"A prison? Like, concrete, bares, handcuffs-"

Nye stiffened.

"And cells? _That_ kind of prison?" Glenn asked in shock.

"No, they meant one of those five star resort prisons." Mason snarked.

"I don't get it, how is something like that not already taken?" Nye questioned.

"It's overrun." Daryl explained.

"How overrun we talking?" T-Dog asked sceptically.

"It doesn't matter. It's nothing we can't handle." Rick said forcefully.

At a tug on the end of her sleeve, Nye looked down.

Toby stood, his head hung low. "I don't like this." He murmured.

Nye's brows furrowed, until she realized why this was bothering him.

"Don't worry, even if it is _that_ prison, there's no way he's still alive." Nye assured him.

Toby nodded, though he still looked slightly worried.

Nye took his hand, looking back up. She caught Daryl's eye, who looked from her to Toby in concern.

She shook her head, silently telling him it was a conversation for another time.

But what she didn't know, was that they were going to have that conversation very, very soon.

...

"This is bananas." Nye muttered, staring at the staggering amount of Walkers, that Rick practically said would be a breeze.

As their leader took bolt-cutters, and started cutting a way through the fence, everyone else was tasked with look out.

Glenn impaled a Walker against the fence, and Maggie quickly ran up to split it's head open with her machete.

"Watch the backside!" Rick warned as people started slipping through the entry he made.

"Got it."

Nye pushed Mason and Toby ahead of her, waiting until Lori was safely behind the fence, before she went through.

As she was the last one to go through, Glenn and Daryl immediately started to seal the cut in the fence up behind her, using a spool of copper wire.

After that, they began running around the fenced off perimeter, Walkers growling and clawing at them from either side.

As she ran, Nye braced a careful hand on Lori's back. Hoping to help support the woman.

The quick thankful smile she got in return told her it was helping. Whether it be physically or emotionally.

They all slowed, reaching the gate to the prison.

Rick looked around, a glint in his eyes. "It's perfect. If we can shut that gate, prevent more from filling the yard, we can pick off these Walkers. We'll take the field by tonight." He said, sounding more determined with every word.

"So how do we shut the gate?" Hershel asked their leader.

Glenn raised a hand. "I'll do it. You guys cover me."

Maggie shook her head vehemently, panting for breath. "No, it's a suicide run."

"I'm the fastest." Glenn argued.

"I can-"

But before Nye could get anything more out, Daryl, Mason and Toby were all voicing their disagreement.

"You don't even have your inhaler anymore." Mason pointed out.

Rick put a hand up to gain everyone's attention. He then looked to T-Dog. "No. You, Glenn, Maggie, Beth and Toby draw as many as you can over there," He pointed off back were they had came.

Before they could do as ordered, Nye grabbed Toby's arm, swinging him around and into a hug.

"Be safe."

"Pop them through the fence." Rick continued. "Daryl, go back to the other tower. Carol, you've become a pretty good shot, take your time, we don't have a lot of ammo to waste." He sent the short haired woman to follow Daryl. "Hershel, you Mason and Carl, take this tower."

Carl nodded. "Alright."

Nye swiftly tipped the bill of Mason's hat up, giving him a kiss on the forehead. Repeating the phrase she had just used on Toby.

"What am I doing Sheriff?" Nye asked, palming her monkey wrench.

"You're coming with me."

Nye blinked, suddenly understanding why he gave her job last. He didn't want two kids and a certain redneck to argue.

She nodded, taking a deep breath to prepare.

Lori opened the gate for them, and gave them both looks of concern.

With only a quick look as a warning, Rick darted through the gate. Leaving Nye to catch up.

While the two ran, the former sheriff shot down a few in their way, while Nye would swing and take down the closer Walkers.

Because she was so focused on the Walkers, when Rick stopped running (thanks to Carol accidentally shooting at his feet) she ran right into him.

The force caused her to fall. Landing roughly on her right shoulder.

A Walker took the opportunity, and shambled over to the downed brunette.

But it only made it two steps, before a crossbow bolt speared it in the head.

She hissed in pain, and Rick reached down and grabbed her hand, immediately pulling her back up and running.

They made it to the open gate, and Rick kicked back a Walker that was getting too close as he shut the gate.

He quickly sealed it shut, as Nye took out her black gun and shot down the Walkers getting too close.

After it was secure, Rick opened the door to the watchtower right next to them. He pulled her in, before closing the door.

"Light it up!" Nye faintly heard Daryl yell.

She and Rick ran up to the top of the tower, aiming down at the decaying undead, helping the group dispatch what was left.

As Rick cocked his rifle, he chuckled softly.

Nye looked over, about to ask what was so funny. But the look of relief on his face queued her in. And she couldn't help but giggle, the feeling of relief and _safety_ setting in for her as well.

A final shot rang out, as the last Walker dropped.

Nye and Rick shared a look, and she took comfort in the sight of the smile she hadn't seen since the farm.

...

After racing down the tower, and bursting through the door, Nye glanced at all the downed bodies to make sure they were no longer moving, and holstered her pistol. She looked around the courtyard, taking it all in.

And without any preamble, Nye threw her hands up, and head back.

"Hell yes!"

She looked down, hearing Carol's laugh as everyone started making their way towards her and Rick.

"Oh! Oh, oh! We haven't had this much space since we left the farm!" Carol cheered.

Mason and Toby took a cursory glance around, before running to Nye.

The now twenty-five year old braced herself. Though she was still left slightly breathless as they tackled her in a hug.

Toby stepped back from her. "That was-"

"Dangerous, I know." She said calmly. "But if all I ever do is play it safe, than I'll only be a burden on the group."

The two boys shared pensive looks, before nodding.

Nye smiled at them, before feeling a hand on her right shoulder. Looking over, she saw Daryl.

"You good?"

To anyone else, it would have sounded like a perfectly normal question. But to them, it held an extra meaning.

Ever since she spilled everything to him about her heart, he seemed to keep a closer eye on her. Especially after she fell in that lake.

 _Probably because he thinks I'm a liability._

She nodded, trying to ignore her self-doubts.

"Never better."

...

"Mmmm… Just like mom used to make." Glenn sarcastically hummed, before throwing his now meatless bone.

It was now dark out, and the majority of the group sat around a bonfire, eating the various animals Daryl had caught.

Nye snickered, chewing on her own piece. All while lamenting their lack of barbecue sauce.

"It's actually not that far off from Nye's cooking." Mason chimed in.

While Toby and the rest laughed softly, Nye wacked Mason on the back of his head.

"You said you loved it when I cook!" She said indignantly.

"Yeah, because you would screw it up so bad, we'd always end up ordering pizza." Toby said.

"Shit-heads, the both of you." Nye muttered bitterly, fiercely biting into her food.

"I wonder if I ever delivered to you guys." Glenn said thoughtfully.

As she absentmindedly listened to the crickets chirping, Nye looked over to where Daryl stood atop one of the cars blocking the gate. From the distance she could only make out the red of his poncho as he paced back and forth.

As she was too busy watching him, Mason and Toby shared giddy looks. Still in slight disbelief that Nye had gotten past her dislike of the redneck, and that the two adults were now friends. And funnily enough, the two kids were still under the impression that their meddling had been the sole cause for the change.

"Tomorrow, we'll put all the bodies together. We want to keep them away from that water. Now, if we can dig a canal under the fence, we'll uh, have plenty of fresh water." T-Dog said tiredly.

"It'll be hard." Nye muttered.

Glenn nodded. "But worth it."

"The soil is good, we could plant some seed, grow some tomatoes, cucumbers, soybeans." Hershel listed off, before looking up at their leader. Who had been checking the perimeter none stop. "That's his third time around. If there was any part of it compromised, he'd have found it by now."

Beth turned to Lori. "This will be a good place to have the baby. Safe." She said, hoping to lighten the mood.

Nye smiled and hummed in agreement, before standing.

"Where are you going?" Toby hurriedly asked.

Nye opened her mouth, but Carol seemed to have read her mind. The older woman handed her a makeshift plate, holding some food.

Nye quickly thanked her, before making her way towards the tipped over car.

As she walked, she looked around at what all was surrounding them. And halfheartedly wondered how long it would be before Rick decided they needed to clear out the prison itself.

After reaching the car, Nye paused. Contemplating on how she was going to climb it while still holding the plate.

Instead of attempting to make it work, and undoubtedly embarrassing herself in the process, she stood on her toes and pushed the plate up onto the top of the car.

Daryl looked over, sticking his arm out for her to grab.

As she heaved herself up, she took a moment to look at the prison from the new angle.

"Is this how tall people see things?" Nye jokingly asked, sitting down.

Daryl followed suit, and took the plate, giving her a look.

She shrugged. "You haven't eaten today. Don't think I haven't noticed."

Daryl nodded to the fire, where Lori and the kids were the only ones left who were still eating. "Guess little Shane over there's got quite the appetite."

Her jaw dropped in indignation, but was unable to stop the laugh that spilled out. She quickly socked him in the arm.

"Don't be an ass!"

Sighing, her left hand came up over her right shoulder. "There's no way Baby-Grimes will be anything like Shane." Nye murmured, still beating herself up over Randall.

Daryl watched her as she absentmindedly rubbed her right shoulder.

"You good?"

"Hmm?"

He gestured to her shoulder.

"Oh. I uh... fell." She said sheepishly.

He nodded, remembering seeing her go down.

Without rethinking it, he set his crossbow down on the car. Putting his hand on her shoulder and started to rub it.

Nye froze. Staring at him over her shoulder in disbelief.

She felt her face growing warm, and just like always, her mouth got the better of her.

"Are you trying to seduce me?"

For a second, she told herself she didn't really say that. But going off the red hue on Daryl's ears, she most definitely did.

Clearly somewhat embarrassed, he leaned back and picked up his crossbow.

"Better get back."

She nodded, biting her lip to fight off a smile, as they both stood.

Daryl stepped over the edge of the car, down onto a foot hold. "I'll go down first."

Maybe one day, Nye would know how to restrain her immaturity, but as of right then...

"Sure, whatever you're into."

"Stop."

...She just wanted to bask in the redneck's embarrassment.

...

" _The parting glass,_ "

As Nye and Daryl walked back to the fire, Beth's voice carried over to them.

" _Good night and joy be with you all._ "

Nye smiled, sitting down next to her kids. Mason and Toby immediately leaned against her, exhaustion clear on their faces.

Beth paused for a second, before the two Greene sisters shared a smile, and Maggie joined in.

" ** _Oh, all the comrades, that e'er I had,_** "

Glenn looked at Maggie as she sang, a soft look on his face.

" ** _Were sorry for my going away, and all the sweethearts that e'er I had,_** "

Nye took off the boys' hats, carding her fingers through their hair as they rested their heads on her lap.

Rick approached the fire, Carl handing him a bowl of meat. The former sheriff held the bowl out to Lori, silently offering her some. After some hesitation, she reluctantly took a piece.

" ** _Would wish me, one more day to stay. But since it falls unto my lot, that I should rise, and you should not, I'll gently rise, and I'll softly call, good night and joy be with you all, good night and joy be with you all._** "

"Beautiful." Hershel said softly.

Glenn put a hand on Maggie's leg, as she and Beth both grinned sheepishly.

"Better all turn in. I'll take watch over there, we've got a big day tomorrow." Rick told them.

Nye blinked, looking up at their leader in trepidation.

"What do you mean?" Glenn asked.

Rick hesitated, before sighing softly. "Look, I know we're all exhausted. This was a _great_ win. But we gotta push just a little bit more. Most of the walkers are dressed as guards or prisoners, looks like this place fell pretty early. Could mean the supplies may be intact. They have an infirmary, a commissary."

"An armory?" Daryl added.

Rick nodded. "That would be outside the prison itself, but not too far away. Warden's offices would have info on the location. Weapons, food, medicine, _this place could be a gold mine_." He said intensely.

"We're dangerously low on ammo." Hershel warned. "We'll run out before we make a dent."

"That's why we gotta go in there. Hand to hand. After all we've been through, we can handle it, I know it." Rick looked down to his son. "These assholes don't stand a chance."

Carl smiled at that, but only for a second.

Rick stood, walking away from the fire. And Lori quickly followed.

Without anymore delay, Nye grabbed her backpack and put it behind her, leaning back and using it as a pillow. Toby shifted so his head was in the crook of her neck and shoulder, and Mason adjusted so his head was resting on her stomach while he curled himself around her.

She stared up, gazing at the mass of stars above. Taking in the feeling of being safe.

...

Nye watched, as Rick, Daryl, Glenn, Maggie, and T-Dog all walked in a semicircle. Taking down any Walkers that got close.

While she and everyone else stood on the other side of the fence, banging on it and yelling to get the Walkers' attention.

With a grunt, Nye shoved a knife through the fence and into a Walker's temple.

"Fuck!"

She snapped her head to the left, sagging in relief when she saw the exclamation came from Mason, who only seemed to have been splattered by Walker blood.

Toby, who was on Nye's right, gagged and looked away from his brother.

"I can't see them." Lori said worriedly, turning to Carol. "Can you see them?"

Nye looked up, swallowing thickly when she couldn't spot them.

It felt like an eternity before the smaller group came back into view. But Nye was immediately back on edge as they entered the prison.

"W-what are they doing?" She asked, getting no response as everyone watched the door with bated breath.

Thankfully, they were back out into the courtyard rather quick.

Rick opened the gate, nodding to them. "It's secure."

...

As everyone carried their things into the prison, Daryl and T-Dog moved the bodies.

"What do you think?" Rick asked.

A body dropped from the catwalk, landing right in front of them.

"Home sweet home." Glenn said sarcastically.

Nye snorted, adjusting the straps of her bag, and scavenged guitar.

"For the time being." Rick said.

Lori looked around sceptically. "It's secure?"

"This cell block is." Rick assured them.

What about the rest of the prison?" Hershel questioned.

"In the morning, we'll find the cafeteria, and the infirmary." Rick told them.

Beth looked around. "W-we'll sleep in the cells?"

Rick nodded. "I found the keys on some guards. Daryl has a set too."

"I ain't sleepin' in no cage." Daryl said from above. "I'll take the perch."

"C'mon." Nye urged Mason and Toby, leading them up to the catwalk.

"Okay, all the cells have bunk beds, so-"

"We shouldn't share a cell." Mason bluntly cut her off.

Nye blinked, at a loss.

Toby quickly intervened. "I think he means, we always share rooms and stuff, so it might be good to... _not_ this time."

Nye looked back and forth between the two, understanding where they were coming from, but still feeling somewhat hurt nonetheless.

"Oh, yeah, um... okay." She said hesitantly.

Mason and Toby grinned, taking off to find a cell.

For a second she just stood there, unsure of what to do. Before she found her feet carrying her to the perch.

"Daryl."

He hummed, laying out the mattress he stole from a cell.

"I think my kids are growing up. And that scares me." She said, only partly joking.

He flopped down on the mattress, testing it's softness. "They don't wanna share a cell?" He guessed.

She nodded and sighed. "I've never been dumped before, but this is what I assume it feels like."

Sliding down against the railing, she slipped off the strap of her guitar, setting it on her lap and absently stroking the strings.

She had tuned the thing countless times, but could never find the time to play anything.

But, now everything was calm, and the dust finally settled. So not wasting anymore time, she began strumming the instrument.

As the first few chords of 'Sweet Home Alabama' drifted through the cell block, everything else seemed to quiet down.

Daryl watched her play. As he too, finally let himself relax.

As she played the song, she unknowingly lulled several members of the group to sleep. Though, it definitely helped that they were all exhausted to begin with.

...

Rick, Daryl, T-Dog, and Hershel stood around one of the metal tables, taking inventory of everything they had found and taken off Walkers.

"Not bad." Daryl said, appraising a heavy-duty flashlight that still worked.

"Flashbangs, CS Triple-Chasers. Not sure how they'd work on Walkers, but we'll take them." Rick said.

Daryl picked up one of the helmets, Walker goo dripping out. Nye, who had been approaching the men, paused and grimaced at the disgusting sight.

"I ain't wearin' this shit." Daryl told them, holding the helmet at a safe distance.

"Good call." Nye said, coming to a stop next to the redneck.

T-Dog slowly picked up a pair of gloves in the same condition.

"We could boil them." He suggested, he himself not sounding convinced.

"Ain't enough firewood in a whole forest, no." Daryl scoffed. "Besides, we've made it this far without 'em right?" He said, taking an experimental swing with one of the batons.

Carol hurried over to them. "Hershel? Nye?" She gestured for the vet and nurse to follow her.

Rick looked up in worry. "Everything alright?"

Carol gave a tight lipped smile. "Yeah, nothing to worry about."

As they went into Lori and Carol's cell, Nye quickly crouched down in front of where Lori sat on the bed.

Lori sniffled, looking down at her stomach. "It's the baby, I-I think I lost it."

"You haven't felt it move?" Hershel asked.

Lori nodded shakily. "Nothing. And no Braxton-Hicks. At first, I thought it was exhaustion and malnutrition."

"You're anemic?"

Lori nodded.

"If we're all infected, then so is the baby. So what if it's stillborn? What if it's dead inside me right now, what if it-"

Nye put her hands on Lori's knees, drawing her attention.

"Okay, no." She took a deep breath, hoping she would say the right thing. "This is normal. You have no idea how many pregnant women would come into the ER in hysterics because they got too much in their own head with paranoia. It's the hormones, and stress." Nye hesitated on continuing, before going for it. "And even if Baby-Grimes is... and that's a big _if,_ there is no way they would be able to hurt you from the inside. They don't even have teeth yet."

Lori seemed to think on that, before giving a hesitant nod.

"Okay. Let's say it lives, and I die during childbirth."

Nye sighed, rubbing her thumbs on Lori's knees.

"That's not going to happen." Hershel assured her.

"Why not? How many women died in childbirth before modern medicine?" She challenged, continuing before Nye could interject. "If I come back, what if I attack it? Or you two, Rick, Carl… If I do, if there is any chance, you put me down immediately, you don't hesitate!" She said, fighting back tears. "Me, the baby, if w-we're Walkers, you don't hesitate, and you don't try to save us! Okay?"

Hershel reluctantly nodded, but Nye stayed stationary.

"It might have been better if…"

"If what?" Hershel asked.

"If I'd never made it off the farm."

Nye clenched her teeth, refraining from saying anything for fear of making things worse.

Hershel shook his head. "You're exhausted, frightened."

Lori gave a bitter smile. "Yeah, that's true. My son can't stand me. And my husband, after what I put him through."

"We've all been carrying that weight. All winter."

"I tried to talk to him. He…"

Hershel put a hand on her shoulder. "He'll come around."

Lori sniffed. "He hates me. He's too good a man to say it, but… I know. I put him and Shane at odds, I put that knife in his hands." She cut herself off with a sob.

Nye sat up, carefully putting her arms around Lori. Rubbing soothing circles on her back.

Hershel took Lori's hand. "You know who doesn't give a shit about that? This baby. Now let's make sure everything's alright."

...

Everyone but Carol, Lori, Beth, and the boys were picking up and putting on pieces of body armour, preparing to go deeper into the prison.

Carl tried to put on a helmet, but Rick took it off of him.

"You won't need that, I need you to stay put."

Carl looked up at his father in disbelief. "You're kidding!"

Rick shook his head. "We don't know what's in there. If something goes wrong, you could be one of the last men standing. I need you to handle things here."

Carl thought on it, before conceding. "Sure."

Nye looked over at Mason and Toby, who were sitting atop one of the tables.

"Aren't you gonna plead your case?"

Mason shook his head. While Toby pouted at her.

"It would only be futile."

She snickered, before Rick called their attention.

"Let's go."

After quick hugs and trading of "love you"s, Nye followed the rest of the group out the door. Which Carl shut behind them.

The corridors of the prison felt tight, the air stale and smelling of decay. Rick and Daryl were at the front, shining their flashlights around corners and into cells, keeping sharp eyes out for anything moving.

As they got further, Glenn started using spraypaint on the walls, leaving arrows to guide them back.

For a long time, all there seemed to be was dead Walkers and the occasional rat.

Maggie suddenly yelled, and everyone spun around to see what happened.

Only, it turned out to be a false alarm, and she had only bumped into Glenn.

They continued on, and for a moment Nye thought they might be in the clear.

"Go back, go back!"

Freezing at the sound of Rick's yell, the groans and moans of Walkers became crystal clear, bouncing and echoing off the walls.

"Go back, move! This way!"

She wasn't sure who was even yelling, or where they were saying to go. So, on instinct she latched onto the soft leather of Daryl's vest, running with him as her guide.

"Come on, come on!"

"C'mon, this way!"

At some point, while they ran down the corridors, Glenn and Maggie disappeared. And it wasn't until they all burst into a storage room waiting for the Walkers to pass, that anyone realized.

Rick looked around from where he and the rest were crouched. "Where's Glenn and Maggie?"

"How'd we lose them?!" Nye asked in a panic, her voice octaves higher than normal.

"We have to go back!" Hershel demanded.

"But which way?" Daryl asked.

They all shared a tense look, knowing that if they picked a direction, than it would be a guessing game.

Rick opened the door carefully, signalling for them to follow.

"Maggie? Glenn?" Hershel called quietly.

And once again, no one noticed he got separated, until it was too late.

As Hershel walked down the hallway by himself, there was a slumped over Walker on the floor, seemingly dead. But as Hershel walked over it, the Walker sat up, grabbing the vet's leg, and biting him.

Hershel's scream tore through the air, and everyone ran back. Rick made it first, shooting the Walker in the head.

Maggie and Glenn came around the corner, immediately catching sight of Hershel.

"No! No, Daddy! No!" Maggie wailed

The Walkers, hearing the noise and smelling the blood, started coming at them on both sides. Rick and Glenn took Hershel's arms, supporting the older man's weight as they all started running.

Daryl, Nye, and T-Dog all stayed in the back, stabbing and shooting down Walkers that tried to follow them.

They reached a shut door, the handles locked using a pair of handcuffs. T-Dog ran over, using his fire-poker to pry the chain. As soon as it snapped, they were all through the door.

Nye winced as Hershel and Maggie's wails bounced off the walls, seeming louder than before.

"Shut the door!" Rick ordered.

Daryl and T-Dog forced their weight against the metal doors, trying to keep the Walkers at bay.

Nye crouched down, sucking in a breath as she stared at the chunk missing from Hershel's right calf. "T-tourniquet, Rick he needs a tourniquet!"

Immediately, Rick was whipping off his belt, fastening it just above Hershel's knee.

"Hold him down! Alright. Only one way to keep him alive!" Rick said, taking his axe.

There was no warning. So when Rick swung it down, chopping into Hershel's leg, Nye jolted.

And like a switch had been flipped in the back of her head, she began to get tunnel vision, some of her anxiety slipping away. She welcomed the shock with open arms as Hershel's blood splattered and dripped down her face. Because feeling nothing was so much better than feeling _this._

As Rick chopped away, Hershel passed out from the pain. It wasn't long before the man's leg was completely detached from his body.

Rick held back a gag, dropping his axe. " _Oh_ … He's bleeding out."

Daryl, who Nye hadn't even realized moved away from the door, looked up at something over Rick's shoulder.

"Duck." The hunter ordered quietly.

As soon as Rick hit the floor, Daryl was standing, crossbow aimed at something on the other side of the room.

Nye shakily stood, looking over at where he was pointing.

Suddenly, all the comfort that came with detaching herself from the situation was sucked away. Leaving her very much aware of where she was, and who she was standing in the room with.

Behind a fenced off window, stood six men all wearing prison jumpsuits. But one of them in particular, stood out.

Brown eyes. Eyes that looked so similar to a pair she saw everyday. A pair that would light up and shine with youth and happiness, even in this dark new world.

But these eyes, they were dull, lifeless. The kind of eyes that would only sparkle while witnessing something horrific. These eyes were on a man who stood tall, scruff covering his face, and dark hair pulled into a ponytail.

She had only ever seen the man in pictures, while being warned about what he had done.

 _"Harvey Wheeler. He raped and killed thirteen women before being apprehended."_

 _"Can I talk to his son, before I agree to anything?"_

 _"Of course."_

So, she was wrong. They _were_ in the West Georgia Correctional Facility.

And now Toby was back in the same building as his father.

Bile arose in Nye's throat.


	19. Smalls

**Guys, I can't watch The Good Doctor anymore. Because now everytime Shaun has a flashback to (spoiler) his dead little brother, who's played by Dylan Kingwell, I cry. Don't even get me STARTED on episode 5, and how much of a mess I am watching that one.**

 ***Sigh* It might be bias, but seriously Dylan and Gaten are the freakin' cutest kids on TV right now. And now everytime I see them in The Good Doctor, and Stranger Things, all I see is Toby and Mason.**

 **Also, real quick, !TRIGGER WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER! I mean, this chapter deals with a rapist/murderer, so... yeah.**

 **Harvey Wheeler:** Henry Ian Cusick

 **(No offense to Henry meant. I just think he's a great actor. And besides, the nicest actors/actress' always play the best villians.)**

 **Now who's ready for some Protective!Daryl :D**

* * *

 _It was a little after noon, as she sat on the leather couch, trying to look as professional as possible. The social worker's heels clicked as the older woman entered the room._

 _As the middle-aged, blonde social worker sat down across from her, Nye reached up and tightened her bun self-consciously._

 _"Alright, Miss Conner, I'm Amanda. We have a few things we need to go over before you agree to anything." The social worker said, looking down apprehensively at a folder._

 _Nye nodded, flattening her pencil skirt for the hundredth time._

 _"Sure, go for it."_

 _Amanda took a breath, looking up from the folder. "You've done well with Mason. Whenever he comes here for an evaluation all he ever talks about is how great you are."_

 _Nye looked down at her lap, face flushing._

 _"Do you think he will be okay with another foster child in the house?"_

 _Nye gave a sheepish smile. "Well, we've talked about it. And he seemed fine, so long as it wasn't a girl."_

 _Amanda laughed lightly, looking back down at the folder and sobering. "So this boy, he's a... special case."_

 _Nye's brows furrowed. "What do you mean by that?"_

 _The social worker hesitated, before sighing and putting down the folder._

 _"I'm going to be honest. You've done exceptional with Mason, so I have no doubt you would handle this well. But the boy's father... well, he has a record."_

 _Nye leaned back, letting her posture relax slightly. "What kind of record?"_

 _Again, Amanda hesitated, before handing Nye the folder._

 _After taking it, the brunette looked down at the papers._

 _In the top left corner, was a picture of a man. Black hair, graying scruff, and dull greenish-brown eyes. The most concerning thing, was the fact it was a mugshot._

 _Nye only got as far as reading his name, before Amanda's voice caught her attention._

 _"Harvey Wheeler. He raped and killed thirteen women before being apprehended."_

 _For a second, she was sure it had to be a joke. Until she saw Amanda's face._

 _And while she knew it was hypocritical of her, Nye found herself wary of the monster's son._

 _"A-are you serious?"_

 _Amanda gave a nod._

 _Nye found her own head absentmindedly bobbing, as she stood and began to pace the room._

 _"I know what you're probably thinking right now, but trust me when I say, his son is_ nothing _like him." Amanda said, standing as well._

 _Nye couldn't help but scoff, reaching up and releasing her hair from her tight bun._

 _"I can't just take that on faith! I have Mason to worry about." The brunette said, almost hysterically._

 _Amanda raised a placating hand. "I understand, but please, give him a chance."_

 _Nye stared down at the carpet, biting her lip._

 _"Can I talk to his son, before I agree to anything?"_

 _Amanda gave a small sigh of relief_

 _"Of course."_

 _Both women jumped and spun around as the door swung open, banging against the wall._

 _A small boy, brown hair and eyes, and looking to be around eight, ran through the door. Gaze on Amanda._

 _"The dog's back!" He excited said._

 _Nye looked between the two in confusion._

 _Amanda smiled, before getting hit with an idea._

 _"You should show Niagara. I'm sure she would like seeing him."_

 _Nye blinked, and the boy grabbed her hand, pulling her out the door._

 _As he pulled her along, she decided to finally ask._

 _"What dog?"_

 _The boy grinned. "There's this big Boxer that winds up here sometimes. The owner's house is a couple blocks away, but Benny likes coming here for some reason."_

 _She nodded, looking up as they exited the building._

 _The first thing she noticed about the Boxer, was it's front left leg was missing. The second thing, was that it seemed to adore the boy. As soon as it saw him, the Boxer bounded over, tackling the kid to the ground._

 _Nye crouched down, petting the Boxer's neck as the boy carefully shoved it off._

 _"I take it you like dogs?" Nye jokingly asked._

 _The boy nodded eagerly. "Yep! I've always wanted one."_

 _Nye giggled. "Same."_

 _The two sat, petting the dog in comfortable silence, until the boy looked up._

 _"So why're you here?"_

 _"I'm a foster parent. I came to do some paperwork on another kid being placed in my care." Nye said the rehearsed line._

 _The boy nodded, looking up at her seriously. "I'm a foster kid."_

 _Nye's petting slowed, as she started to piece it together. Amanda's behavior, and the familiarity of his greenish-brown eyes._

 _"What's your name, kid?"_

 _"Tobias Wheeler."_

 _Her petting continued, as she stared down at Toby. All of the concern she had held slipped away. Shame at judging the kid too quickly took it's place._

 _Smiling softly, she ruffled his hair._

 _"We should get back inside. I've got some paperwork to fill out."_

...

There was no telling how long they stood there, over Hershel's bleeding body. But to Nye, it felt like both a second, and an eternity.

"Who the hell are you?" Daryl demanded, stepping closer to the prisoners.

"Who the hell are _you_?" One of them snapped back.

Shivers ran down her spine, as Harvey stared them all down, calculatedly.

"He's bleeding out, we gotta go back!" Rick said desperately, before turning to Maggie. "Come around here. Put pressure on the knee! Nye! Get over here!"

But she remained rooted in her spot, pistol resolutely aimed at Harvey's chest.

"Nye! Now!"

She blinked, lowering her gun a few inches. As she growled, turning around and helping with Hershel, Nye missed the interest that lit up in Harvey's eyes as he surveyed her.

"Come on out of here. Slow and steady." Daryl ordered, crossbow steadily aimed at them.

As the prisoners came out, Nye internally begged for Daryl to just shoot them all down. Or at least Harvey.

"What happened to him?" A prisoner with long black hair asked, staring at Hershel.

"He got bit." Daryl growled.

The same prisoner raised a brow. "Bit?"

Everyone tensed, raising their weapons as the prisoner pulled out a gun. T-Dog stepped forward, threatening him with his own gun.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, easy now. Nobody needs to get hurt." Daryl tried placating, stepping closer to, and in front of Nye.

"I need you to hold this. As hard as you can." Rick softly ordered Maggie, handing her a rag and leading her hand to Hershel's stump.

Maggie sniffed, choking out a, "Yes."

Glenn stood, marching past everyone and through the door the prisoners came from. As soon as he brushed past Harvey, Nye's gun was once again locked on the rapist.

"You got medical supplies?" Glenn forcefully asked the prisoners, already looking around.

"Whoa, where do you think you're going?" The largest prisoner asked Glenn.

The Walkers outside the door began banging on it, drawing the prisoners attention.

"Who the hell are you people anyway?" The one with the gun asked, eyeing the creaking door.

"Don't look like no rescue team!" The prisoner with red hair said, an accent Nye couldn't place lining his voice.

Rick leaned down, hooking his arms under Hershel's to carry the older man, who was thankfully still unconscious.

"If a rescue team's what you're waiting for, don't!" Rick barked.

A loud clatter sounded, and Glenn ran back into the room with a metal trolley.

"Come on, we gotta go! Now! Come on, I need a hand here!" Rick shouted as he and Glenn lifted Hershel up and put him on the trolley. "One, two, three, go!"

"T, the door!"

As T-Dog swung the doors open, all the prisoners, except Harvey, protested.

"Holy Jesus!"

"Are you crazy? Don't open that!"

Harvey remained silent, calmly watching everything unfold. And Nye still refused to take her gun off him.

"We got this." T-Dog grunted, immediately killing a Walker that shambled through the door.

Everyone but Nye and Daryl ran through the door, pushing Hershel along.

"Daryl! Nye!" Rick shouted for them to follow.

The two slowly backed away out the door, weapons trained on the convicts until they could no longer see them.

...

"Open the door! It's Hershel! Carl, come on!"

At the sound of their leader in hysterics, everyone followed Carl to the door. As he unlocked and opened it, the group ran through, pushing Hershel into the safety of the cell-block.

"Oh, my God!" Carol whimpered at the sight of Hershel's leg.

While everyone tended to Hershel, moving him into one of the cells, Nye darted in to find Mason and Toby.

The two stood, watching the chaos unfold, and Nye was quick to cut them off from any questions.

"Hershel got bit. We cut off his leg. Now both of you, go to your cell. _Do not come out unless I tell you_ , understand!?" She ordered, not having the time to feel bad for snapping at them.

Thankfully, the two could read that, and ran up the stairs immediately.

She sighed, running back out to Daryl.

As she took up position next to him, Daryl gave her a questioning look. "Why ain't you in there."

Nye scowled at him. "Not. A. _Trauma_. Nurse."

At this point, with all the training they had undergone with Hershel, Carol and Maggie were just as capable to handle this as she was. Besides, there was no way in hell Harvey was setting foot into the cell-block.

The first to come through the dark doorway, was the one with the gun. Then, much to Nye's displeasure, Harvey. The others slowly followed.

"That's far enough." Daryl growled.

"Cell block C. Cell four, that's mine, Gringo. Let me in." The one with the gun said threateningly.

Nye internally cheered, knowing that Mason and Toby's cell wasn't number four.

"Today's your lucky day, fellas. You've been pardoned by the state of Georgia, you're free to go." Daryl said sarcastically.

"What you got going on in there?"

"Ain't none of your concern."

At that, the prisoner pulled out his gun. "Don't be telling me what's my concern."

Both Nye and Daryl tensed, until a hand settled on the prisoner's arm, forcing him to lower it.

"Now, there's no need for that. We don't want things to escalate, hmm?" Harvey calmly said, eyes trained on Nye.

She felt bile rise in her throat, skin crawling at the feel of his gaze, and she immediately had her gun back on Harvey.

The biggest prisoner stepped up. "Yeah, let's just chill. Dude's leg is messed up. Besides, we're free now! Why are we still in here?"

"Man's got a point." Daryl hedged.

Another prisoner nodded. "Yeah, and I gotta check on my old lady."

The one with the gun eyed them sceptically. "Group of civilians breaking into a prison you've got no business being in, got me thinking there ain't no place for us to go."

"Why don't you go find out?" Daryl challenged.

"Maybe we'll just be going now." The redhead timidly said.

"Hey, we ain't leaving!"

T-Dog ran up to Nye and Daryl, aiming his gun at the armed prisoner.

"You ain't coming in here either!" T-Dog barked.

"Hey, this is my house, my rules, I go where I damn well please!" The prisoner raged.

Harvey raised a placating hand. "Tomas, calm down. Getting worked up won't help anything."

Tomas scowled. "Nah, no way in hell! I'm getting in that _damn_ cell-block-"

"Like hell you are!" Nye snapped.

Tomas stepped forward, pointing his gun up to her head. "What's a _bitch_ like you gonna do to stop me!?"

"Hey! Back the hell off!" Daryl shouted, taking a step in front of Nye. "There ain't nothin' for you here, why don't you go back to your own sandbox?!"

The metal creaked as the cell-block door swung open, Rick running out. "Hey, hey, hey! Everyone relax, there's no need for this."

Tomas turned his aim to Rick, and the former sheriff didn't even bother raising his own weapon. "How many of you in there?"

"Too many for you to handle." Rick answered honestly.

Tomas looked between them all, narrowing his eyes. "You guys rob a bank or something? Why don't you take him to a hospital?"

It was silent as the group shared glances, unsure of how to explain anything.

Nye would have felt pity for at least a few of them, but with Harvey standing with them, she couldn't find a sympathetic bone in her body.

"How long have you been locked in that cafeteria?" Rick asked lowly.

Tomas gave a stiff shrug. "Going on like... ten months."

"A riot broke out. Never seen anything like it." The biggest prisoner said nervously.

"Attica on speed, man." The one with an accent said.

"Ever heard about dudes going cannibal, dying, coming back to life? Crazy." The shortest said.

"One guard looked out for us, locked us up in the cafeteria, told us to sit tight, threw me this piece, said he'd be right back." Tomas told them.

"And that was 292 days ago."

Accent raised his hand. "94 according to my calcula-"

"Shut up!" Tomas cut him off.

"We were thinking that the army or the national guard should be showing up any day now."

Rick shook his head. "There is no army."

For the first time, Tomas wavered. "What do you mean?"

"There's no government, no hospitals, no police. It's all gone." Rick continued.

Nye swallowed thick, stiffening as she saw a sick look light up in Harvey's eyes at the news.

"For real?" Accent stammered.

Rick nodded grimly. "Serious."

"What about my moms?" Big Guy asked softly.

"My kids, my old lady! Yo, you got a self-phone or something so we can call our families?" Big Guy No.2 hurriedly asked.

"You don't get it, do you?" Daryl said.

"No phones, no computers. As far as we can see, at least half the population's been wiped out. Probably more." Rick said lowly.

All the prisoners seemed to take the information in, some of them looking sick to their stomachs.

Tomas' arm slowly came down. "Ain't no way."

"See for yourself." Rick challenged.

...

As they all stood in the courtyard, Daryl walked up to Nye.

"Who is he?"

She jolted in shock, glancing at Daryl before her gaze was locked back on Harvey.

"You haven't taken your eyes off 'em once." Daryl continued, watching the man now too.

Nye gripped her gun tighter. "Someone we would all be better off with killing _right now_." She said darkly.

Daryl paused, looking down at her with faint surprise.

She looked away from Harvey, staring up at Daryl.

"I don't care what Rick says. He'll be gone before the sun sets. I'll make sure of it."

Daryl stared at her, clearly taken aback by the brunette's thirst for the man's blood.

Right as she began to worry if she had been too blunt, Daryl finally nodded.

"I got your back." Daryl grunted, marching away to keep a closer eye on the prisoners.

And finally, for the first time since morning, she cracked a smile.

"You never said. How the hell did you get in here in the first place?" Shorty asked.

Daryl pointed off to the fence. "Cut a hole in that fence over there by the guard tower."

Shorty looked at Daryl sceptically. "That easy, huh?"

"Where there's a will, there's a way." The redneck replied.

"Easy for you to say." Shorty challenged.

Big Guy started to poke one of the Walker bodies on the ground, using a stick.

"So what, is this like a disease?" He asked.

Rick nodded. "Yeah, but we're all infected."

Accent's brows furrowed. "What do you mean, infected? Like AIDS or something?"

Nye raised a palm to her forehead, fighting tooth and nail not to groan.

"I don't think that's what he meant." Harvey said, patting Accent on the shoulder.

"If I was to kill you, shoot an arrow in your chest, you come back as one of these things. It's gonna happen to all of us." Daryl said, pointing his crossbow up at Harvey's chest, before slowly lowering it.

Tomas shook his head. "Ain't no way this Robin hood cast's responsible for killing all these freaks." He said, staring at Nye pointedly.

"Must be fifty bodies out here." Shorty tacked on.

Tomas looked to Rick. "Where'd you come from?"

"Atlanta."

"Where you headed?" Tomas asked.

"For now, nowhere." Rick said forcefully.

Tomas nodded slowly, before gesturing to the other side of the courtyard. "I guess you could take that area down there near the water. Should be comfortable."

Rick gave a tight lipped smirk. "We're using that field for crops."

"We'll help you move your gear out." Tomas continued on like Rick hadn't spoke.

"That won't be necessary." Rick said in a tone that sounded both pleasant, and threatening. "We took out these Walkers, this prison is ours."

Tomas scoffed. "Slow down, Cowboy."

Shorty moved to stand next to Tomas. "You snatched the locks off our doors."

"We'll give you new locks, if that's how you want it." Rick told them.

Tomas stepped forward. "This is our prison. We were here first."

"Like that's something to be proud of?" Nye scoffed.

Tomas scowled down at her, eyes sweeping over her in a way that made her sick. "One more word out of that mouth, _Girly_ , and I'll give it something to-"

Her jaw clicked as she took hold of her monkey wrench, and started moving. But Daryl quickly stepped forward, blocking Nye off from trying anything. Though he himself looked pissed as hell. Harvey did the same with Tomas, holding him back from doing something they wouldn't be able to go back from.

"You were locked in a broom closet. We took the prison, set you free, it's ours. We spilled blood." Rick barked.

Tomas redirected his glare on Rick. "We're moving back into our cell block."

"You'll have to get your own."

"It is mine. I've still got personal artifacts in there, that's about as mine as it gets!" Tomas argued, pulling out his gun.

Everyone tensed, raising their weapons.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, maybe let's try to make this work out so everybody wins!" Accent shouted.

"I don't see that happening." Tomas said.

Rick stared him down. "Neither do I."

"I ain't coming back into that cafeteria for one minute."

"There are other cell blocks." Accent pointed out.

"You could leave. Try your luck out on the road." Daryl forcefully suggested.

"I don't think that's the best idea." Harvey said, staring down the crossbow.

Tomas shook his head. "Nah, if these three pussies can do all this, the least we can do is take out another cell block."

Nye scowled, noticing Tomas left her out of the equation, assuming she hadn't been a part of the Walker massacre.

Big Guy's brows furrowed. "With what?"

Tomas nodded at Rick. "Atlanta here will spot us some real weapons. Won't you boss?"

Instead of answering, Rick asked, "How stocked is that cafeteria? Must have plenty of food, five guys lasting almost a year?"

"It sure as hell don't look like anybody's been starvin'." Daryl remarked.

"There's only a little left." Tomas said.

"We'll take half. In exchange, we'll help clear out a cell block." Rick told them.

"Didn't you hear him? There's only a little left!" Shorty argued.

"Bet you've got more food than you've got choices. You pay, we'll play. We'll clear out a block for you, then you keep to it." Rick negotiated.

Nye tensed, knowing that she was going to have to talk to Rick about Harvey. No way could they let him stay on the same property as the women and children.

As Tomas thought it over, Harvey stepped forward.

"It's the best chance we have. I say we take it."

Tomas paused, then nodded. "Alright."

"Well, let's be clear. If we see you out here, anywhere near our people, if I so much as even catch a whiff of your scent, I will kill you." Rick threatened in a bone chilling tone.

"Deal." Tomas said unflinchingly.

Nye looked down, swallowing harshly. She had a feeling that things were going to go wrong very, very fast.

...

"I think she's hiding something."

Mason didn't bother looking over at his brother as he replied. "No shit, Sherlock."

Toby glared halfheartedly, bouncing a ball against the concrete floor. "She was acting really weird. Like, protective weird."

Mason finally looked up at his brother, as he sat leaning against the metal bars of their cell. "Well, Rick said there were prisoners. Maybe one of them was a pedo."

Toby frowned. "Okay, no. How would she even know if there was a... If there was one."

Mason shrugged, looking back out the bars. "You gotta admit it, there's a lot we don't know about Nye."

Toby sat down on the floor, leaning his back against the wall. "That's not true, we know loads-"

"We know nothing about her parents. We know next to nothing about Shepherd-"

"Yeah, 'cause it's hard for her to talk about."

"-We don't know why she fainted and went to the doctor that one time! We have no idea how she got her scars-"

"She said it was an animal-"

"She was lying! We both know that!" Mason snapped back. "If it was an animal, than why the _hell_ does she tear into her arm when she has nightmares? Huh? Why do all of them but the one around her wrist look self-inflicted?!"

Toby paused, mouth moving silently.

Mason sagged against the bars. "She's great. The best foster mom I've ever had. But Nye hides a lot from us."

The two remained silent for a long time after that, until Toby's hesitant voice broke it.

"...Why do we still call her that?"

Mason looked back at his brother. "Um, 'cuz calling her "Niagara" would be too annoying."

Toby shook his head. "No, I mean... why don't we call her "Mom"?"

Mason paused, before looking back out the bars.

"Because she's not."

"But, Mas-"

" _She's not my Mom. Drop it!_ "

Toby blinked at Mason's outburst, before narrowing his eyes.

"What are you talking about? You've known her longer than I have, and I definitely think of her as my-"

"Well you didn't have a Mom in the first place!"

Toby stood, glaring down at Mason.

"Yes I did! Up until I was six! But Nye's already proven herself to be a better Mom than my real one ever was!"

Mason stood now, staring his brother down at equal height.

"Well mine was the best! And Nye can't ever take her place!"

"It's not a matter of taking places, you-you- _Jackass_! All Nye has ever done for us is what's best! And you're taking it for granted!"

"You think I don't appreciate her?!"

"Well it sure seems like it! She's our Mom, and you act like she's-she's some _babysitter_!"

With only a yell of anger as his warning, Mason tackled Toby to the ground.

No matter how angry the two were with each other, they couldn't bring themselves to throw any actual blows. As a result, the fight was little more than them rolling around on the floor, tugging violently at each other's shirts, and grunting out insults.

"Boys! _Boys_!"

As quickly as it started, the brothers' impromptu wrestling match ended, with Carol prying them apart.

"That is enough!"

The two kids panted, glaring at each other as Carol stood between them.

"What is going on?" Carol demanded.

Both stayed silent, tight lipped with narrowed eyes.

After giving them a second, Carol sighed. "Alright, I guess we'll just have to wait for Nye to get back to settle this."

Both pairs of eyes widened, as they looked up at Carol in panic.

"Or, you two can settle this between yourselves, and she won't have to hear about it."

With that, Carol spun on her heels, going down the stairs and making her way back to Hershel's cell.

After they watched her leave, Mason hurriedly hopped up onto the top bunk, refusing to look at his brother. He grabbed Manny, wringing it in his hands.

"If you wanna call her "Mom", than just do it."

Toby watched his brother, before sighing and shaking his head.

"I can't." He started to say, hopping up next to his brother. "You're right. There's a lot we don't know about her. But, I do know one thing."

Mason hesitantly looked up. "What?"

"I know that Nye's really insecure. And if I started calling her _that_ , and you didn't, she would start to wonder if she was doing a good enough job with you."

"...That's dumb."

"Emotions are dumb. And Nye has a lot of them."

Assuming their talk was over, Toby moved to jump off the bunk bed.

"...Sorry. For what I said 'bout your Mom." Mason mumbled.

Toby paused, looking over his shoulder. "I'm sorry too."

Mason watched him as he hopped down, then sat on the bottom bunk.

What Toby didn't know, was that Mason's mouth had nearly slipped dozens of times in the past, getting so close to mixing up the two three letter names. He tried to ignore the big part of himself that already thought of her as his Mom, for fear of disrespecting his biological one.

But it didn't help that "Mom" was already what he was always calling her inside his head.

...

"Pantry's back here." Tomas announced, leading them into the cafeteria.

T-Dog looked around. "You never tried to break out of here?"

"Before, or after dead people started walking?" Harvey joked.

"We tried to take the doors off. But if you make one peep in here, then those freaks will be lined up outside the door growling, trying to get in. Windows got bars on them that He-Man couldn't get through." Oscar said. Thankfully he had told the group everyone's names on the walk there.

"Bigger than a 5x8." Axel unhelpfully added.

"You won't find me complaining. Doing fifteen. My left leg can barely fit on one of those bunks." Big Tiny said.

Oscar nodded. "Yeah, they don't call him "Big Tiny" for nothing."

"You're done jerking each other off? I'm getting sick of waiting back here." Tomas called from the pantry.

Harvey gave the group a placating smile. "Sorry about him."

Nye felt an overwhelming urge to shoot him in the face as a result.

Her cheeks must have been getting visibly red from anger, because Daryl quickly nudged her arm, drawing her attention away from the convict.

Tomas led them around the corner, into a large storage room. Lined wall to wall with nonparishables.

"Jesus _Christ_." Nye whispered, voice unsteady.

Daryl shined a light on some of it, before moving the beam to Tomas' face. "That's what you call a little bit of food?"

"Goes fast."

"Mm-hmm." Daryl nodded disbelievingly.

Tomas gestured to some bags. "You can have a bag of corn, some tuna fish-"

"We said half. That's the deal." Rick cut him off, before noticing a metal door. "What's in there?"

"Don't open that." Oscar warned.

Rick ignored the warning, and started to open the door.

As he turned the handle, something clicked in Nye's head.

 _We're in the pantry. That's a metal door..._

Her eyes widened. "Rick I think that's the-"

The door opened, and was immediately slammed shut as Rick coughed and gagged.

"Freezer. Full of rotting meat." She finished lamely.

"You wanted to know." Tomas said snidely.

After they divided up the food, Nye, Rick, and T-Dog all carried bags and cans of it into the cell-block.

"Food's here!" T-Dog excitedly announced.

"What do you got?" Carl eagerly asked.

The three began setting it all down on one of the tables.

"Canned beef, canned corn, canned cans! There's a lot more where this came from!" T-Dog told them.

As Rick left to check on Hershel, a metal creak caught Nye's attention.

"Stay in the cell!" She shouted up at the catwalk.

"Aw c'mon! This is bullshit!"

" _Tough_ shit!"

"Why're you making them stay in their cell?" T-Dog asked her in bewilderment.

"'Cuz she's overbearing!" Mason shouted.

Nye glared down at the cans. "I have my reasons."

"Dumb reasons!"

"I _will_ come up there!"

...

They all stood around a metal table, melee weapons laid out on top.

"Why do I need this," Tomas lifted up a crowbar. "when I've got this?" He lifted his gun.

"You don't fire guns. Not unless your back's up against the wall. Noise attracts them, really riles them up." Daryl said.

The rest of the prisoners picked weapons. Nye made sure Harvey didn't get anything too sharp.

"We'll go in two by two. Daryl will run point with T, I'll bring up the rear with you." Rick nodded at Andrew.

"What about me?" Nye asked.

Rick hesitated, glancing at all the prisoners.

"Too much to ask you to go back to the cell-block?"

"What do you think?" She shot back.

Rick nodded slowly, looking back at the prisoners once more, before making his decision. "You'll be up with Daryl and T."

Tomas scoffed, eyeing Nye patronizingly. "You sure we should bring her?"

Nye scowled venomously, tightening her hold on her monkey wrench.

"She can handle herself. She's taken down more Walkers than I have." Daryl growled.

Nye blinked, looking at Daryl in surprise. Knowing the latter half of his statement was a blatant lie.

But it did the job. Tomas reluctantly backed off.

Rick brought their attention back to the plan. "Stay tight, hold formation, no matter how close the Walkers get. Anyone breaks ranks, we could all go down, anyone runs off, they could get mistaken for a Walker, end up with an axe to the head."

"And that's where you aim. These things only go down with a head shot." Daryl told them.

"Ain't gotta tell us how to take out a man." Tomas smirked.

"They ain't men. They're something else." T-Dog said lowly.

"Just remember, go for the brain." Rick ordered.

The group entered the dark corridor, turning on their flashlights. The whole time she was walking, Nye kept glancing back at Harvey.

"Man, it's too damn dark in here!" Big Tiny whispered harshly.

Daryl gestured to the prisoner's weapon. "Gotta hold it up high out in front of you. You're gonna hear 'em before you see 'em."

A clanging sound could be heard coming from the end of the corridor.

"It's coming!" Axel panicked.

"Shhh!" Rick stressed.

Two Walkers shambled into view. But before one of the four group members could do anything, the prisoners ran at the Walkers, screaming. The only one to hang back was Harvey, who watched with a serene smile on his face. They started to attack the walking corpses, hitting everything _but_ the head.

"You wanna taste of me?" Axel shouted confidently, stabbing into the Walker's stomach.

The four members of the group all shared looks of total disbelief.

"It's gotta be the brain!" Daryl called, shooting one in the head. "Not the stomach, not the heart, the brain!"

More Walkers started coming down the corridor.

"I hear you, the brain." Axel nodded shakily.

Nye calmly walked up to one, swinging her monkey wrench into the side of it's head. The other side hit the wall from the force, splattering against the concrete, before sliding to the ground, completely lifeless.

Oscar stepped up, stabbing one in the head.

"Like that?" He asked.

Daryl nodded in approval. "Uh-uh."

Axel surprisingly took one down. Rick killed two after that.

"Stay in tight formation, no more prison riot shit!" Rick ordered.

More Walkers swarmed the hallway. As everyone was too busy fighting to notice, Big Tiny slowly stepped back, away from the fray.

Big Tiny's scream alerted the group that he was gone. Rick and Tomas made it to him first, taking down the Walkers that were overpowering him.

While Rick took one down silently, Tomas shot the last two.

Everyone stood around Big Tiny, noticing the blood coming from his shoulder.

Rick stepped closer, shining his light on the prisoner's shoulder. Revealing the jagged scratch.

"I'm telling you! I don't feel anything, it's just a scratch!" Big Tiny stammered.

Rick shook his head. "I'm sorry man…"

"A scratch is all it takes." Nye said softly.

"I can keep fighting!" He insisted.

"You cut that old guy's leg off to save his life!" Andrew argued.

"Look at where the bite is!" Rick snapped back.

"Guys, I'm fine! Just… I'm fine. Look, look at me, I'm not changing into one of those things." Big Tiny said desperately.

"Look, man, there's gotta be something we can do, we could just lock him up!" Oscar bargained.

"Quarantine him!" Axel suggested.

"We gotta do something! Why are you just standing there, we gotta save him!" Andrew panicked.

"There's nothing we can do." Rick said firmly.

Andrew scowled at Rick. "You son of a bitch!"

Big Tiny raised his hands. "I'm al-"

The sharp point of a crowbar cracked down on the back of Big Tiny's head, killing him instantly. The large prisoner dropped to the floor, Tomas standing over him. The crowbar came down again, and again...

Nye flinched with every blow, watching wide-eyed in horror.

"Tomas."

He kept slamming the crowbar down.

" _Tomas_."

He finally stopped, looking up at Harvey, Big Tiny's blood dripping down his face.

Harvey gave Tomas a tight lipped smile. "I think you got him."

Tomas nodded, standing upright, looking everyone in the eye calmly, before walking away.

Harvey and and Andrew immediately followed, but Oscar and Axel seemed hesitant.

Daryl's eyes tracked Tomas. "You see the look on his face?"

"He makes one move…" Rick said lowly.

Daryl nodded. "Just give me a signal."

Nye still couldn't take her eyes off Harvey, despite what Tomas had just done.

They slowly walked into a laundry room, and Nye immediately spotted the double doors on the other side of the room.

Rick tossed the keys at Tomas' feet.

Tomas looked at the former sheriff in annoyance. "I ain't opening that."

Rick stared Tomas down. "Yes, you are. If you want this cell block, you're gonna open that door. Just the one, not both of them. Because we need to control this."

Walkers started banging and scratching at the doors. Tomas reluctantly picked up the keys.

Tomas unlocked it, holding the door shut. "You bitches ready?" He tugged, but nothing happened. "I got this."

He tugged again, but this time, both doors opened. Walkers quickly started flooding in.

"I said one door!" Rick barked, quickly taking down some Walkers.

"Shit happens!" Tomas retorted.

Everyone started killing as many Walkers as was manageable. And never in her life had Nye believed bludgeoning things would become muscle memory, but there she was.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Nye saw Rick go down, a Walker squirming on top of him.

"Nye, T, mind the gap!" Daryl ordered, moving towards Rick. Stabbing the Walker and pulling it off of him.

The last Walker dropped as Daryl helped Rick up.

Tomas shrugged stiffly at Rick's stare. "He was coming at me, bro."

Rick nodded, a chilling smile on his face. "Yeah… Yeah, I get it. I get it. shit happens."

The two stood, staring each other down. Rick moved first.

His machete swung in a blur, embedding itself into Tomas' temple.

"No!" Andrew screamed as Tomas' body dropped, charging at Rick with his baseball bat held high.

Rick merely kicked Andrew in the side, sending the smaller man to the ground.

"Easy now." Daryl warned, crossbow aimed at the downed prisoner.

Andrew watched them, before getting to his feet and running for it.

"I got him!" Rick shouted, darting after the runner.

"Hey, get down on your knees!" Daryl ordered as he, Nye, and T-Dog pointed their weapons at the prisoners.

Axel and Oscar immediately fell to their knees, setting down their weapons. But Harvey was much slower.

"We don't have no affiliation to what just happened! Tell him, Oscar! Harv!" Axel babbled

"Stop talking man." Oscar said lowly.

"I'd like to talk to my lawyer." Harvey said, chuckling at his own joke.

"Shut your fucking mouth." Nye growled.

Harvey smirked in response.

Nye scowled in disgust, turning to Axel and Oscar.

"How the _hell_ have you lived with him? After all he's done to be here."

Axel and Oscar shared a confused look.

"H-he's here for tax evasion." Axel hesitantly said.

Nye's eyes widened, and she slowly looked back at the grinning Harvey.

"Is that what he told you?"

The two other prisoners nodded, now watching their fellow convict warily.

Harvey chuckled, watching Nye intently. "Something tells me you know exactly why I'm here."

"Nye, what's going on?" T-Dog asked carefully.

Her gun shook, as it remained pointed right at his forehead.

"Hmm, I doubt you were at my trail, I would remember you."

"Shut up."

"So you're probably not family of one of the victims."

"Shut. _Up_."

"So then, _Nye_. Who are you? Or, should I ask, who am _I_ to _you_?"

Nye swallowed down the lump in her throat. "You're Harvey Wheeler. Rapist and Murderer to thirteen innocent women. But to me, you're just a sick fuck who hurt someone I love."

"Jesus." Oscar breathed.

Harvey smiled, nodded his head.

"I see."

Nye blinked, and the next thing she saw, was Harvey standing in front of her, with a gun aimed at her head.

"Hey hey hey!" Daryl shouted, pointing his crossbow at Harvey's chest.

"You didn't honestly think I'd let Tomas keep the only gun, did you?" Harvey asked patronizingly.

"Drop it." Daryl ordered.

Harvey slowly shook his head. "No can do. It seems we've come to an impasse."

"What do you want?" T-Dog asked lowly.

"A free ticket out of here." He demanded.

"No way. Fuck you." Nye instinctively snapped.

"Nye." Daryl whispered in warning.

Harvey smiled at her. "I like you. Maybe in another world, another time..." He trailed off suggestively.

At the sight of her glare hardening further, Harvey sighed, and decided to play his trump card.

"Tell me, Nye, are you a mother?"

She stiffened visibly.

Harvey grinned victoriously. "Ah, I knew it. You have that maternal feeling about you."

"Cut to the chase." Nye growled, still aiming at him in a standoff.

"Just let me go." He started, pausing as she scoffed. "I have places to go, things to do."

Nye glared at him hatefully. "Like what?"

He grinned, as if hoping she would ask that.

"I have to find my son."

Nye's eyes widened, and her ears began to ring.

Harvey gave her his attempt at a soft smile. "Please, you're a mother, show some compas-"

 **Bang!**

The smile on Harvey's face fell slack, head snapping back as his body slumped against the wall. A single bloody and jagged hole was now where his left eye once was. As he slid, lifelessly to the floor, a smear of red on the wall followed his head.

Everyone was silent, watching Nye carefully as she held the steaming gun.

The first to move was Daryl, as he went to put a hand on her arm.

"Nye-"

 **Bang! Bang! Bang!**

Unflinchingly, she emptied the rest of her ammo into Harvey's head. By the time her gun was clicking, signalling it was out of bullets, Harvey's head was unrecognizable. His face was nothing more than a bloody heap of meat and shattered bone.

"Oh lord..." Axel gagged.

Stiffly, almost like she was on autopilot, she took a step forward, kicking the gun out of the corpse's hand. As if he could get back up and shoot them.

A few seconds after that, Nye blinked, looking down at the once prisoner with an unreadable look on her face.

For a second, it didn't seem like she would move. But without warning she dropped her gun, running to the other side of the room.

The sound of vomit splattering against the floor was heard. Daryl and T-Dog watching helplessly as she was leaned forward, losing the contents of her stomach, and crying.

Her tears though, were in no way for Harvey. They were because she had just committed her first kill. And it was Toby's father.

 _What am I going to tell him?_

...

Axel and Oscar had their own cell-block. Harvey was dead. Hershel was awake. All and all, Nye felt ready to sleep forever.

She had tried being there for the veterinarian, but seeing him handcuffed to the bed had made her go cold. She left, but was later told by Daryl that he was indeed alive and, seemingly, okay.

Rick had been informed on what happened to Harvey, though Nye was still the only one who knew the _why_.

Knowing that she couldn't hide it from him forever, Nye slowly walked up the cell-block stairs.

Mason, who had been on lookout, immediately spotted her.

"Oh thank God, can we come out now!?"

Unable to muster a smile, she simply nodded.

Mason cheered, opening the door and stepping out.

"I'm gonna say "hi" to Hershel!"

As Toby began to get up from the bottom bunk, Nye held up a hand, halting him.

"Not you. We need to talk."

"Ohhh, Toby's in trouble!" Mason said.

"Out." Nye ordered in a no-nonsense tone.

Mason held his hands up, before running off.

"...What's going on?" Toby hesitantly asked.

Nye swallowed thickly, sitting down next to him and staring intently at her lap.

"You were right."

Toby smiled nervously. "About... what?"

With a deep breath, she glanced up at him for a split second. "This is... _that_ prison."

She continued staring down at her lap, waiting for his response.

"I know."

Her eyes widened, head snapping up as she stared at him in shock.

"Wha-what do you mean-

Toby shrugged. "What, you honestly thought I'd never look up the prison my dad went to?"

Before she could say anything, he continued.

"But you didn't know. So something must have clued you in."

"You're too damn smart for your own good..." She muttered.

"It was him. Wasn't it." He stated.

At her tense posture and silence, he knew he hit the nail on the head.

"Is he alive?"

"...Not anymore."

"...Oh."

She finally looked up, looking at him in panic.

"God Toby, I-I'm so _so_ sorry. I never wanted to-"

"It's okay."

Nye froze, brows furrowing in disbelief. "W-what?"

Toby stared down at her fidgeting hands. "I know you would only do it if you felt threatened. And, well, I'd rather him be dead, than you be hurt."

When he didn't get a response, he hesitantly looked up at her.

Her jaw was clenched shut to keep sobs at bay, while she stared at him adoringly.

"I love you so fucking much." She choked out, latching onto him in a bone-crushing hug.

Toby grinned, burying his face in her shoulder.

"Love you too... Nye."

"Geez, is it your time of the month? Why are you crying?" Mason said from the doorway, having returned.

"I'm crying 'cuz I'm stuck with you!" She retorted through her sobs.

Mason flipped her off, before darting back down stairs before she could scold him.

Toby watched the exchange fondly, unable to find any part of himself that was torn up over the lose of his father.

...

"Toby."

Daryl looked up from the bolt he had in his hands, watching Nye as she stood in the doorway.

It was the middle of the night, and Daryl was on self-appointed lookout, sitting on the outdoor catwalk.

"What about him?"

Nye bit her lip, staring down at her shoes.

"The person I love, that Harvey hurt, is Toby."

Daryl sat up, giving her his full attention as concern for the kid filled him. "What happened?"

Nye slowly looked back up at him. "It's a long, and complicated story. But the abridged version, is..."

Daryl waited as she seemed to be debating something in her head.

"Smalls' full name, is Tobias Henry Wheeler."

Daryl paused, before his jaw clicked as he turned his head, looking back out at the courtyard.

Nye watched him in worry, and as she was opening her mouth to say something, he spoke first.

"Smalls is a tough kid."

Nye's mouth fell slightly slack, eyes widening as they filled with tears.

"Yeah, yeah he is." She choked out, reaching up and wiping her eyes.

The two stayed silent, calmly listening to the crickets chirp.


	20. A safe place

**Guys! I need you to talk me out of something! I found out what happens to Louise if you go the Violet route, AND IT'S PUTTING POTENTIAL-ANGST FILLED THOUGHTS IN MY HEAD. Like for real, I'm considering doing _that_ to one of my babies at some point. _THAT THING THE RAIDERS DID?_ Yeah, I'm deadass, seriously considering about doing _that_ to one of them.**

 **(if you don't know what I'm talking about, than ignore this, or look up what happened to a character named Louise in the most recent episode of telltales TWD game.)**

 **Anyway, on a lighter note, guess who made a tumblr so she could procrastinate writing this even more!?**

 **Kidding, in fact I plan to post stuff about G &L and my other fic ideas on there. And I don't know how links work, so I guess I'll just leave you my username.**

 **...It's redvelvetpanpan. original, right?**

* * *

 _"Hey Nana?"_

 _A tiny girl, no older than four, was sitting on a carpeted floor. Plush dolls laying in front of her, forgotten as her attention was now on her grandmother, who was sitting in one of the living-room's recliners._

 _"Yes Mouse?" The girl's grandmother asked,_ _looking up from her newspaper. A_ _slight lisp was lacing her words, caused by the cigarette hanging from her mouth._

 _The girl sheepishly looked up through her unruly hazel bangs. "Why do you call me "Mouse"?"_

 _Elise sat down her newspaper, studying her timid granddaughter. "Well, it's what I used to call your mother. When I first met her, she was this sweet, and skittish little thing. You take after her in that way." She said fondly, with a southern twang._

 _The girl's green eyes lit up at the mention of her mother._

 _"...Nana?"_

 _"Hmm?"_

 _"Why'd Mama name me "Niagara"?"_

 _Elise paused, eyes dimming with melancholy. She took the cigarette from her lips, putting it out in the ashtray beside her, and slowly opened her mouth to answer-_

"Nye!"

With a gasp, the brunette shot up, only to bang her head harshly on the top bunk.

Daryl stood back, watching Nye writhe around in pain, clutching her forehead and growling profanities. He could have sworn he heard "Smurfs!" and "Hasselhoff!" thrown in with the usual. The nonsense could be attributed to her sudden wake-up call... But it could also just be Nye.

"You rat-bastard!" Nye finally said clearly, glaring up at him through her fingers.

Ignoring her agitation, he nodded to down stairs. "Rick's got a job for us. C'mon."

He walked away, leaving her with no choice but to follow.

For a moment, she let her eyes flutter back closed, as she imagined the image of her late grandmother. It was blurry, and she had long ago forgotten what Nana had really sounded like. But the foggy picture dancing behind her eyelids brought a small smile to her face nonetheless.

But all too soon, the face of her loving grandmother was replaced by someone else's.

 _"I have to find my son."_

With a sharp inhale, her eyes snapped back open. But in her head, the picture of Harvey's mangled face lingered, almost like an after image.

"This is why we can't have nice things." She murmured to herself, slowly rolling out of bed and grabbing her goggles.

On her way down the catwalk, she peeked her head into Mason and Toby's cell. She was satisfied, and slightly relieved to see both boys were still sound asleep, blissfully ignorant to the world around them, at least for now.

She stood in the doorway for what seemed like a long time, just watching their chests rise, and fall. The paranoid part of herself kept reminding her that any minute, Toby would snap out of it, and see her for the killer that she was. Though, she seemed able to stomp these thoughts down pretty easily with the logical argument that, not only did Toby love her, but he had feared his father.

Humorously enough, while she was worried about what Toby was really thinking, she was confident that what Mason had said to her the night before, was proof of how he felt.

 _"You killed one of the prisoners?"_

 _"Yeah."_

 _"And it was Toby's psycho dad?"_

 _"Mhmm."_

 _"Sweet."_

A small twitch of a smile pulled on the corner of her mouth, and she reluctantly walked away, going down the stairs, out of the cell-block, and into the courtyard. All while unable to shake a feeling of unease.

...

Nye fought off a yawn as she backed Pumpkin up through the gates, parking her beside the white pickup they just brought in.

She swung the door open and hopped out, catching the tail end of what Rick was planning.

"-Alright, let's get the other cars in. We'll park 'em in the west entry of the yard."

"Good. Our vehicles camped out there look like a giant "vacancy" sign." Daryl said.

Rick gestured to all the bodies laying lifelessly in the courtyard. "After that, we need to load up these corpses so we can burn them."

"It's gonna be a long day…" T-Dog sighed.

"And yesterday wasn't?" Nye remarked.

Carol crossed her arms, looking back to the cell-block. "Where's Glenn and Maggie? We could use some help."

"Up in the guard tower." Daryl told her.

"Guard tower? They were just up there last night." Rick said lightly, knowing full well why.

Nye shifted her weight on her heels, a light blush covering her cheeks. "Should we, like, leave them alo-"

"Glenn! Maggie!" Daryl shouted up at the tower.

After a few seconds, the door creaked open. Glenn hesitantly stepped out, shirtless, and zipping up his pants.

"H-hey! What's up guys?" He shouted down to them

Nye snorted, looking down at the ground and shaking her head.

Rick, Carol, and T-Dog chuckled, while Daryl smirked.

"You comin'?" Daryl called.

Nye's head shot up, and she looked at him in disbelief. Her light blush burned worse, turning into a deep red.

Glenn's face fell. " _What_?"

The group laughed harder, except Daryl and Nye. Who instead looked mighty proud, and incredibly red, respectively.

"You comin'? Come on, we could use a hand!" Daryl called again, and Nye would swear you could _hear_ the smirk on his face.

"Y-yeah, we'll be right down!" Glenn stammered, before darting back into the guard tower.

They started walking back to the gate, still smiling and smothering laughter after what just happened, until T-Dog spotted something.

"Hey Rick."

Rick turned, his smile dropping immediately when he saw the only two living prisoners. Axel and Oscar stood by the fence, watching and waiting.

"Come with me." Rick ordered Daryl and T-Dog, as he marched up to the fence

Nye and Carol stood back, watching from afar.

"Why so red?" Carol suddenly asked, smirking in suspicion.

Nye blinked, looking away from the worn leather wings she was absentmindedly tracking. "W-what do you mean?"

Carol crossed her arms. "Well, you're the one that's always making inappropriate jokes. So why are you so embarrassed over what just happened."

Nye opened her mouth, then hesitated. She looked to the ground sheepishly. "Yeah, but... those jokes are different."

"How so?"

Nye sighed through her nose, looking back up at the prison. "Well, because they're just jokes. And I guess, 'cuz sex between a dude and a chick is completely taboo to me."

Carol paused to process, before looking at her in shock. "You mean you've never-"

"Nope."

"Not even _once_?"

Nye shook her head. "Only ever been with girls." She shrugged. "I mean, don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm not attracted to guys like that, it's just... I never liked the idea of throwing it away with a one night stand. And I've never been in a committed relationship, so..."

She trailed off lamely, with another shrug.

Carol looked at her in silence, before leaning back.

"Huh."

Nye snorted. "Yeah."

After that, Nye, Carol, Glenn, and Maggie joined the other three as they talked to the prisoners.

"Look! We had nothing to do with Tomas and Harvey and Andrew, nothing! You trying to prove a point? You proved it, bro! We'll do whatever it takes to be a part of your group, just, please, please, don't make us live in that place!" Axel begged.

"Our deal is not negotiable. You either live in your cell block, or you leave." Rick told them, hand on his holster.

Oscar shook his head, looking to Axel. "I told you this was a waste of time. They ain't no different than the pricks who shot up our boys." The large prisoner turned to Rick. "You know how many friends' corpses we had to drag out this week? Just threw 'em out like… Those were good guys! Good guys who had our backs against the really bad dudes in the joint like Harvey, Tomas and Andrew. Now, we've all made mistakes to get in here, Chief, and I'm not gonna pretend to be a saint, but believe me… we paid our due. Enough that we would rather hit that road, than to go back into that shithole.

Nye swallowed, forcing down any sympathy she was feeling. Which was easy when she imagined them living with Harvey for almost a year.

Rick looked to Daryl, who slowly shook his head.

...

"I think we should give them a chance." T-Dog finally broke the ice, while Daryl was locking the prisoners on the other side of the gate.

"Are you serious? You want them living in a cell next to you? They'll just be waiting for a chance to grab our weapons, you want to go back to sleeping with one eye open?" Rick asked incredulously.

T-Dog shrugged. "I never stopped. Bring them into the fold. If we send them off packing, we might as well execute them ourselves."

Glenn shook his head lightly. "I don't know, Axel seems a little unstable."

"After all we've been through? We fought so hard for all this, what if they decide to take it?" Carol proposed.

Maggie crossed her arms, hunching her shoulders. "It's just been us for so long… They're strangers. I don't… it feels weird all of a sudden to have these other people around."

"You brought us in." T-Dog said.

"Yeah, but you turned up with a shot boy in your arms, didn't give us a choice."

"They can't even kill Walkers." Glenn argued.

"They're convicts, bottom line." Carol whispered harshly.

"Those two might actually have less blood on their hands than we do." T-Dog pointed out.

"I get guys like this. Hell, I grew up with them. They're degenerates, but they ain't psychos. I could have been with them just as easy as I'm out here with you guys." Daryl told them.

Nye's furrowed brow softened at that, arms dropping from their crossed position.

"So you with me?" T-Dog asked hopefully.

Daryl gave a resolute shake of his head. "Hell no. Let 'em take their chances out on the road, just like we did."

T-Dog turned to Nye. "You've been quiet, what's your take?"

Nye thought on it, glancing up at the prisoners, before giving a minuscule shake of her head. "They were living with Harvey, I don't think I can..."

"Nye-" T-Dog started, but was quickly cut-off by Rick.

"When I was a rookie, I arrested this kid. Nineteen years old, wanted for stabbing his girlfriend. The kid blubbered like a baby during the interrogation, during the trial, suckered the jury. He was acquitted due to insufficient evidence, and in 2 weeks later, _shot another girl_. We've been through too much. Our deal with them stands." Rick stated, before he started leading the group to the gate.

...

While Rick, Daryl, and Glenn were making their way outside the fence, Nye, Maggie, T-Dog, and Carol were driving the last three cars closer up to the prison.

Nye was sitting in the passenger seat next to Carol. And out of nowhere, she lurched forward, eyes wide as she spotted who was stepping out of the cell-block.

"Ho-ly _shit_." She all but squealed.

As soon as Carol parked the car, the two shared an excited look, before hopping out.

Hershel, using crutches, and being steadied by Lori and Beth, was making his way into the courtyard.

Carl, Mason, and Toby were all grinning from ear-to-ear, watching Hershel. As soon as Mason spotted Nye, he grinned at her, throwing his arms in the air.

"Check it out!"

Lori quickly tried shushing him, though she and the others found it funny, and in Nye's case, adorable.

"Would you look at that." T-Dog chuckled, standing beside the two women.

"I'm gonna go help keep him steady." Carol said, watching warily as the vet swayed.

Nye was tossed the keys, before the short haired woman ran to help.

Nye smiled, twirling the key-chain around her finger. "You know, I think we finally did it."

"Did what?"

Nye's smile widened, as she turned to look at T-Dog. "Found a safe place."

Everyone seemed to be smiling, sharing looks of contentment.

Nye shared grins with her kids, and a nod through the fence with her favorite redneck.

"Walkers!"

The smile dropped off her face, as the calm atmosphere shattered.

Then, everyone was shouting. Rick, Daryl, and Glenn raced to get back into the courtyard, the former sheriff shouting to his wife and son. The group with Hershel all pulled their weapons out, yelling to each other in warning.

Nye's legs felt numb, as she took a wobbly step forward. She watched, as Mason and Toby had their guns out, shooting down any Walkers that got too close.

"No, no no no _no_!" Nye screamed, as she tried running to them.

But a large arm held her back.

"Nye! We need to close the gate!" T-Dog told her, seeing the gate the Walkers were coming from. Last they had seen, it was chained shut, but it was now wide open.

"B-but I-"

"If we don't close the gate, more Walkers will storm in! Mason 'n Toby will be fine!" T-Dog assured her, pulling her with him to the gate.

Even though every fiber in her body was screaming at her to _run to her kids_ , she knew, deep down, that T-Dog was right.

The two weaved through the mass of Walkers, and in the split second she took her eyes off of her kids, Mason and Toby got separated.

"Come on!" Carol yelled, taking Mason's hand and pulling him into the cell-block with Beth and Hershel.

Whereas, Maggie lead Toby away with Carl and Lori.

T-Dog ran up to the fence, forcing the gate closed against the Walkers. While he did that, Nye spotted a red door, leading into an unexplored part of the prison. Realizing there would be no way to get back to their cell-block, she ran to it.

"T, come on!" Nye shouted as she got the rusted door open, looking up just in time to see a Walker sink it's teeth into his shoulder.

As he screamed in pain, knocking it off him, Nye wondered where the higher pitched scream was coming from. Then she realized, it was the same reason her throat was starting to feel hoarse.

"Let's go!" T-Dog ordered, pushing her frozen form through the door, while holding onto his bleeding shoulder.

How had everything fallen apart, so fast?

The two ran down corridor after corridor, thankfully not running into any Walkers. Suddenly, a blaring alarm rang out, followed by more on a repeat.

On instinct, Nye's hands flew up to her ears, as her knees buckled. Throat closing up at the sudden and loud noise.

T-Dog wasn't having it, though. "Come on! I'm getting you out of here!"

He grabbed her left arm, pulling her up and dragging her on.

"N-no, you h-have to slow down!" Nye begged, staring at his bite wound, that was now spurting arches of blood.

"It's already too late for me! There's a set of double doors that will lead to a corridor that will lead you back to your cell block!" T-Dog told her, focused on making sure that one of them was going to make it out.

Nye sobbed, tears burning trails down her cheeks. "B-b-but you-"

"I'm getting you there!" T-Dog shouted over the alarms in determination.

"You n-need to stop!" She all but screamed, mind not able to accept that he had already signed his death certificate.

T-Dog looked at her, pain clear on his face despite the corridors darkness. "Why? Sit here, and wait to die?" He groaned.

Nye shook her head frantically. "No! B-but I'm not letting you- Not into one of _them_! I _can't_!"

 _Not another one. Another one I've failed protecting._

"And I can't ask that!" He snapped back.

"Stop and listen! We all made a promise to each other! And I'm not breaking it by letting you turn!" Nye screamed in anguish.

T-Dog looked at her softly, something that broke her heart. "This is God's plan… He'll take care of me, always has. He's gonna help me lead you out of these tunnels." He said with finality.

...

As they ran, Carl was in front, while Toby was in the back, both of their guns raised.

Suddenly, Lori gasped, leaning against the wall.

Toby was the first to notice. "Lori!"

Maggie and Carl both turned, the farmer's daughter quickly steadied Lori. "Can you keep up?"

Lori took a shuddering breath. "Something's not right…"

"Are you bit?!" Carl asked in panic.

"Dehydrated?!" Toby asked when she shook her head.

"No, no, no, no, no. I think the baby's coming!" Lori said urgently.

"Now!? But Nye's not-"

"Here, I know." Lori grunted.

"Mom?" Carl said in worry.

Everyone looked up, as the moans and growls got louder, and the decaying Walkers making the horrid noises shambled around the corner in front of them.

Carl and Toby immediately raised their guns, but Maggie knotted her fingers into Carl's shirt, other hand occupied with holding up Lori.

"No, there's no time!" She ordered, pulling him away, to which Toby followed along.

They turned around, doubling back, only for more Walkers to cut them off. They all looked around, finding their exits blocked by the undead. Until Carl spotted an ajar door.

"In here!" He yelled, opening the door and ushering Lori and Maggie in, while he and Toby looked out for them. As soon as the women were through, the two boys darted in, trying to shut the door behind them. It took them both pulling it shut at the same time to get it to slam closed.

Lori leaned against the wall, taking a panting breath. "What are those alarms?"

"Don't worry about that." Maggie urged.

"What if it attracts them?" Carl said warily.

"They can't get in here." Toby said, trying to sound reassuring.

Maggie took Lori's hand, pulling her away from the wall. "Lori, let's lay you down."

Lori shook her head, pulling back from her. "No, the baby's coming now."

"We have to go back to our cell block to have Nye help!" Carl said.

Toby frowned, looking down at his shoes. "Nye's not in the cell-block, she's with T somewhere." He said, leaving out the detail of thinking he saw T-Dog get bit.

"What about Hershel?!" Carl suggested.

Maggie shook her head. "We can't risk getting caught out there, you're gonna need to give birth to this baby here."

"Great." Lori groaned.

She braced herself against a metal rack, taking deep breaths.

"What's she doing? Can't she breathe?" Carl panicked.

"She's fine." Maggie brushed off. "Come here, let's get your pants off."

Lori nodded. "Okay… okay…"

Maggie helped Lori settle on her back against the concrete floor.

Maggie looked up at the two boys as she pulled off Lori's pants. "You remember what Nye taught us over winter?"

The two boys nodded shakily.

"Good." She said, before turning to Carl. "You're gonna need to help deliver your baby brother or sister, you up for it?" She asked, needing to know if he could handle it.

Carl nodded, steadier this time.

"Let me see if you're dilated." Maggie said. Lori panted, spreading her legs for Maggie to see.

"Do you know how?" Carl asked.

"Nye explained it, an' Dad walked methrough it, but trust me, it's my first time." She sighed. "I can't tell…"

"I gotta push." Lori said breathlessly, sitting up.

"Okay." Maggie nodded, helping Lori up.

"I gotta push, I gotta…" Lori muttered to herself as she braced herself up against the wall.

Lori grimaced, holding her breath as she pushed.

 _"Somebody_!" She howled, before shaking her head. "I'm okay, I'm okay… I'm okay."

"You're doing great, Lori. Just keep doing it. Your body knows what to do. Let it do all the work." Maggie encouraged her as she crouched down by Lori's crotch to watch for the baby. "You're doing great."

Lori pushed again, grunting in pain.

Maggie paled, eyes going wide. "Lori stop! Don't push, something's wrong!"

Lori screamed, and when Maggie pulled her hand away from her, it was covered in blood.

...

Nye was trying her best to support T-Dog as they made their way down the seemingly endless corridors.

"We're almost there." T-Dog panted, brow covered in sweat.

At the end of the hall they were running down, a group of Walkers limped into view.

"Shit, shit-" Nye growled, raising her black pistol, and pulling the trigger.

But, nothing happen.

Her throat closed up. "I'm out! We gotta go back!"

When she tried pulling T-Dog away, he resisted.

Her eyes widened. "T, we have to-"

"No! We're close." He growled.

Before she could stop him, he ripped away from her, throwing himself at the Walkers, making a gap open for her to run through.

"Theodore!" Nye screamed, using his real name for the first time.

He screamed, holding them all back. "Go! Go! Go! Go!"

Nye ran past him, stopping by the door and looking back.

"Go, I'm dead!" T-Dog ordered, a Walker biting into his arm. "I'm dead!"

He screamed as a Walker sunk it's teeth into his neck, cutting off his shout of pain, and turning it into a wet gurgle.

Her stomach turned, as she watched T-Dog's blood splatter onto the floor.

Her hesitation to leave him let a Walker get too close. As she turned to run out the door, a rotting hand brushed by her head.

In her shock, she didn't even notice it snagged, and pulled off her goggles.

...

Lori was laid back down, her face dangerously pale.

"Mom? Mom, look at me, look at me, keep your eyes open!" Carl shouted.

"We have to get you back to Dad." Maggie said from between her bloody legs.

"And find Nye." Toby added, pacing back and forth.

"I won't make it." Lori said breathlessly.

Maggie swallowed thickly. "Lori, with all this blood, I don't even think you're fully dilated yet, no amount of pushing is gonna help."

Lori nodded. "I know what it means, and I'm not losing my baby... You've gotta cut me open."

At the horrified look on Carl's face, Toby grabbed his friends hand.

Maggie shook her head. "No, I can't."

"You don't have a choice." Lori said bluntly.

Carl pulled Toby to the door. "We'll go for help-"

"No!" Lori barked, halting the boys.

"Look, this was Nye's job. She was supposed to do this if it came to it. And _Carol's_ the one that practiced that, Dad only taught me the steps Lori, if I…" Maggie trailed off, eyes welling up.

"Please…"

"I have no anesthetic, no equipment…" Maggie hiccuped.

Lori smiled ruefully. "Carl has a knife."

"You won't survive." Maggie whispered.

"My baby has to survive… Please…" Lori took a breath. "My baby, for all of us… Please, Maggie! Please. Please…" She begged.

Carl and Toby knelt down next to them, as Maggie slowly lifted up Lori's shirt, looking at the thin scar going across her stomach.

"See my old C-section scar?"

Maggie nodded, sniffling. "I can't."

"You can. You have to." Lori implored, before looking up at her son. "Carl? Baby, I don't want you to be scared, okay? This is what I want. This is right. Now you-you take care of your daddy for me, all right? And your little brother or sister, you take care-"

"You don't have to do this." Carl all but begged.

Lori smiled up at him lovingly. "You're gonna be _fine_ … You are gonna _beat_ this world, I know you will. You are smart, and you are strong, and you are _so_ _brave_! And I love you." She choked out.

"I love you too." Carl sobbed.

Toby looked down, tears rolling off his cheeks.

"You gotta do what's right, baby. You promise me, you'll always do what's right. It's so easy to do the wrong thing in this world." Lori took a sharp breath, lips quivering. "So don't… so if it feels wrong, don't do it, all right? If it feels easy, don't do it. Don't let the world spoil you. You're so good!"

Maggie looked away, shoulders shaking from the effort to keep her cries at bay.

Lori wiped her son's tears away. "You're my sweet boy! The best thing I ever did! I love you!" She said adamantly, bringing him into a hug. "I love you. You're my sweet, sweet boy, I love you." Lori cried.

She sniffled, letting Carl sit up. "Okay… okay, now. Okay. Maggie, when this is over, you're gonna have to…"

"Shh…"

"No, you have to do it, it can't be Rick." Lori demanded.

The two women took deep breaths, Maggie to help calm down, and Lori to ease her mind.

Lori nodded. "Alright, alright, it's alright. It's alright..."

Carl hesitantly, and shakily gave Maggie his knife.

Lori gave Carl one last quivering smile. "Goodnight, love."

"I'm sorry…" Maggie whimpered, reaching down, and tracing the knife along her scar.

Lori threw her head back, screaming in agony.

Carl lurched forward, as if to stop her, but Toby quickly held onto him.

"What are you doing to her?!" Carl yelled, momentarily forgetting everything, except the fact that Maggie was hurting his mother.

Lori's head lolled back, eyes fluttering closed for the last time.

Maggie panted, reaching into Lori's stomach. "Carl, Toby, give me your hands."

Both boys remained still, paralyzed from from shock and grief.

"Boys, please. Keep the site clean, okay? I might of cut too deep. Okay… Okay, come on, I see it, I see the ears. I'm gonna pull him out." Maggie murmured to herself. "I can't tell if this is the arm or the leg. Okay, I'm gonna pull the baby out." She warned them.

"Okay. Okay." Carl sniffed.

She pulled it out, and cradled it in her arms.

Seconds ticked by like hours as the baby stayed silent.

Maggie tapped it on the chest, dread settling in their stomachs as nothing happened.

She turned it over, tapping it's back. And as they heard a gurgled coo, everyone let out a breath of relief.

Carl quickly whipped off his hooded vest, helping Maggie wrap up his sibling.

"It's a girl." Toby quietly told them, having caught a glimpse as they swaddled her.

Maggie nodded, before handing him the knife. "Cut the cord."

Toby swallowed, not liking the feel of holding the same knife that killed Lori.

"O-okay."

After he did as instructed, Maggie finished wrapping her up.

"We have to go." Maggie told them, shakily getting to her feet.

Carl looked up at her tearily. "Wait, we can't just leave her here, she'll turn."

Maggie put a hand on her holster, but Carl shot her down.

"No."

"Carl…" Maggie whispered.

"She's my mom." He argued.

Maggie looked hesitant, so he turned to Toby.

"You would do it if it was Nye." Carl pointed out.

Toby's lips parted, as he imagined having to be in Carl's position, and more tears began welling up in his eyes.

Maggie studied them, before giving a reluctant nod.

She and Toby walked to the door, peeking out to see if the coast was clear.

As they leaned back into the room, they both jolted as a gunshot echoed off the concrete walls.

Carl marched passed them, staring straight ahead.

Toby felt sick.

...

They silently went down the corridors, shining their lights around every corner.

After running back into Glenn and Axel, Rick's group continued searching the unfamiliar hallways.

They turned a corner, only to be met with a single Walker, chewing on a mangled body.

They stepped closer, dispatching the distracted Walker. And as they got a clear look at the body, they realized the mangled remains belonged to T-Dog.

Rick grimaced, while Daryl and Glenn looked away. Grief sucker punching them all.

As his eyes swept over the hallway, Daryl spotted something familiar on the floor.

As soon as he saw his light reflecting off of a lens, his stomach dropped.

He leaned down, carefully picking up Nye's goggles.

His jaw clenched, as he looked up at their leader.

Rick and Glenn eyed the goggles. Once they took it in, Rick looked down at the ground, and Glenn blinked rapidly, the deaths of his two best friends hitting him hard.

Daryl looked back down at the goggles, taking in all the faded edges and scratches. He realized he had never actually asked her why she wore them, he had just registered it as one of the many strange things she did.

He weighed them in his hands, as he finally identified where he had felt this feeling before.

It was back on that rooftop. The sick feeling that swam in his gut as soon as he saw his brother's severed hand, was the same one that was filling him now.

...

"Hershel!" Rick shouted, as he and the rest ran back out to the courtyard.

"You didn't find 'em?" Hershel asked, though he had a hunch, considering that they were alone.

"We thought maybe they came back out here." Glenn panted.

"You didn't run into anyone?" Carol asked, worrying her lip.

Glenn looked down at the ground. "T, he, uh..."

Carol, Hershel, Beth all understood what that meant.

On impulse, Mason ran down the steps, launching himself at Daryl. The want of physical comfort outweighed his dislike for hugs. Excluding Nye's and Toby's of course.

Daryl released a breath as Mason's weight hit him. And he was all of a sudden reminded of all the times he'd seen the two boys tackle Nye the same way.

"We gotta find them." Mason whimpered into his chest, terrified at the thought of losing his mom and brother.

Daryl slowly put a hand on his shoulder, swallowing thickly.

"Mason..." Glenn started, voice tight.

As the twelve year old pulled back, he spotted what was hanging off Daryl's belt.

"Wh-what's-Why do y-you..." He croaked, reaching for the goggles.

"Kid..."

"N-no-no _nooo_..." Mason whimpered, shoulders shaking with unrestrained sobs as he pieced it together.

Without another thought, the redneck pulled him into a another hug, having no idea what else to do.

"B-but s-she promised! _S-s-she promised she wouldn't_! _Not her_!" Mason wailed into Daryl's flannel.

"Gonna be okay, Ace." Daryl said quietly, despite feeling the opposite.

Rick ground his teeth, turning around. "We don't know what happened to the others... We're going back. Daryl and Glenn, you come with me-"

A baby's cry rang out across the courtyard, and everyone simultaneously stilled.

An indescribable look flashed across Rick's face, as he and everyone else looked to the other side of the courtyard.

Maggie, Carl, and Toby all slowly walked out, covered in blood. But the main point of interest, was the squirming bundle in Maggie's arms.

Mason and Toby ran at each other, engulfing one another in a hug. They both started sobbing into the other's shoulder, though for different reasons.

Rick took a few disjointed steps forward, axe slipping from his grip and hitting the pavement.

Maggie shook, another wet sob escaping her.

"Where is… where is she? Where is she?" Rick asked, voice sounding unhinged.

All Maggie could do in response was close her eyes.

Rick shook his head, though it looked more like swiveling as he stared off at the cell-block they just came from. He tried walking past her, but she latched onto his arm like a vice.

" _No, Rick, don't_!"

He looked to his left, and upon seeing the broken look on Carl's face, he knew.

Rick braced his hands on his knees, looking at Carl in devastation. "Oh _no_ … _Nooo... No._ "

Glenn walked up to comfort Maggie, carefully taking her into his arms. But it only made her break down.

Rick walked away a couple yards, until his legs gave out, and he fell to the ground. Laying on his back, he wailed.

" _No, nooo. Noo…_ "

* * *

 ***Peeks around corner*... Hi.**

 **Please don't hurt me! I have my reasons!**

 **Okay, first off, this chapter turned out _waaay_ different than what I had planned. Originally, I was going to skim the episode, and have the whole chapter pretty much about Nye being stranded, (more on that in a sec) but then I was like "But what about my other cinnamon rolls!? How are they handling this?!" (I know we don't see much of Mason, but that's because he was just saying things like "OH MY GOD. SHIT SHIT SHIT" the whole time he was with Hershel, Carol, and Beth.) but I definitely wanted to at least check in on Toby, and then it just spiraled.**

 **Next on the list... T-Dog.**

 **I FUCKING LOVE T-DOG LIKE YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW. So why kill him? Because if I kept him alive, than I honestly wouldn't know what to do with him. But don't worry, if you're starting to think Nye's presence won't save anyone, than you'd be wrong. Because I already have a rescue planned out for her (it'll be awhile before she saves *BLEEP*. But I think you guys will like me keeping *BLEEP* around :D)**

 **And finally, the Carol swap.**

 **So, I actually have a HUGE reason why Nye took Carol's place, and it's not for the angst or the Naryl (yes, I decided that's the official ship name) It's because Nye needs this.**

 **...Yes, she needs locked in an isolation room, by herself, totally stranded... Lemme explain! So, Nye's been through a ton of shit, a lot of which hasn't been explained yet, BUT HAVE NO FEAR, YOUR QUESTIONS SHALL BE ANSWERED IN THE NEXT CHAPPY! Yeah, next chapter is pretty much all about Nye working through her shit. Because believe it or not, you do kinda need to love yourself before you can (at least romantically) love someone else.**

 **ANYWAY, SORRY FOR THE LONG ASS AN. NOW I'M OFF TO WORK ON THE NEXT CHAP. Or, maybe sleep. It _is_ 2:30 am...**


	21. Why we're here

**I wanted to get this out over two weeks ago, but my depression's been kicking my ass lately. Like, I've genuinely been sleeping eighteen hours a day for the past few weeks. It's bad. But I thankfully have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. Anyway,** **sorry for the wait.**

 **As a way to pass the time in between chapters, you guys can ask me stuff, or request headcanons/drabbles/au's about G &L on my tumblr. Ya know, if you want.**

 **Elise Conner:** Rosie O'Donnell

* * *

Ragged gasps of air puffed in and out of her lungs. She couldn't feel her fingers, or her legs that were pumping under her. In her right hand she held her red monkey wrench, and in her left she was gripping her car keys like brass knuckles.

Walkers slowly reached out to her, but she was running fast enough that they stood no chance.

In the back of her head, a voice told her to _slow down_ , to _pace yourself_. And a few seconds later, she realized why.

A choked wheeze fell through her mouth, as she suddenly doubled over. Her chest, her _heart_ , pumping and spasming erratically.

The Walkers noticed her pause, and she had to force herself forward to avoid getting mauled.

After swinging her wrench, and punching several Walkers in the decomposing faces, she finally spotted an open door.

Racing inside, and slamming the door shut behind her, Nye panted, sliding down the metal door.

She looked at the room around her, unable to make out anything, not even the size of the room, from the overwhelming darkness.

Then, she was hit with a concerning thought. She held her breath for a second, listening closely. She let out her breath, relaxing as she heard no evidence of another creature lurking in the pitch black room.

Listening as the Walkers banging on the door slowly trickled off, forgetting that a living person had took refuge inside, Nye sighed. A shaking hand slowly came up to her hair, finally noticing the lack of her goggles.

Her eyes closed, though it made no difference in the dark, and she tried thinking of when she lost them, and where they could be. But when her mind wandered to T-Dog's sacrifice, she blocked out anymore thoughts of the mayhem she could have lost them in.

And so, she sat, and waited.

No matter how much time passed, there was always moans and groans coming from outside, keeping her from exiting the room.

Before long, it felt like it had been hours. Whether it had been that, or simply minutes, Nye had no way of telling. The lack of sunlight was starting to distort her sense of time.

" _So you think you can stop me and spit in my eyeee_ ," She sang under her breath, quiet enough that the Walkers outside weren't encouraged to come banging on the door again.

" _You think you can love me and leave me to dieee_." It was the sixth time she was singing Bohemian Rhapsody, and that was even with long breaks in between.

Her singing trailed off, as a jaw popping yawn tore it's way out of her mouth. She blinked, trying to fight off the severe fatigue that had settled the longer she sat there. But she continued to try and stay awake, listening out for gunshots, or hopefully the sound of a crossbow bolt being fired.

" _Jus' gotta get out, jus' gotta get right outta here..._ "

Without realizing it, she let her guard slip, eyes closing, and head resting on the wall. The bone deep exhaustion silently pulled her under a blanket of sleep.

 _"You've gotten good."_

 _Nye's eyes snapped open. Her mouth slowly opened, as she looked around the room she was in._

 _It was no longer the void of pitch black that had surrounded her, but a brightly lit, and colorful apartment living-room._

 _"Wh-how..." She breathed, sitting up from a leather couch she was painfully familiar with._

 _"Your singing, I mean."_

 _Nye spun around, eyes locking on the origin of the soft voice._

 _She knew who it was before she looked, she could never forget that voice. But that didn't stop the shocked breath that left her._

 _"P-Paul?"_

 _The man standing across from her grinned, white teeth all but glowing behind that horrible mustache she always used to implore him to shave._

 _"In the flesh. Well, not quite." He joked, blue eyes twinkling with mirth._

 _Nye shook her head, eyes never leaving her best friend from the old world. "I-I don't get it, h-how are you here-How am_ I _here!?_ _"_

 _He shrugged, walking along the living-room they used to share._

 _"I think, it's because you need some sense talked into you."_

 _"W-what?_ That _doesn't doesn't even make sense." She growled, wondering why, in the back of her head, this didn't feel right._

 _Paul gave her a tender look. "You didn't even notice, did you?"_

 _"Notice what?"_

 _Paul smiled, though he looked saddened by something._

 _"You're dreaming. I'm not really here."_

 _Nye's face fell, and she shook her head in denial. "N-no, that's not right. Because you're right here, and we're talking-"_

 _"And how is_ that _possible? We haven't seen each other since the world ended." He reminded her gently._

 _Nye slowly sank back into the couch. "No, but..."_

 _Paul came up next to her, slowly sitting down, and put a hand on her knee. "And we haven't lived in this apartment since you started fostering."_

 _Nye stared down at his hand, as she was hit with reality._

 _"I looked for you, I swear I did-"_

 _"I know."_

 _"M-Mason and Toby, I didn't want them to worry, I told them you called me, and said you were safe."_

 _Paul rubbed her knee. "But I didn't."_

 _Nye shook her head, eyes welling up. "But you didn't."_

 _He reached up, tilting her head up to look at him._

 _"C'mon Rocky, I need you to tell me why."_

 _Her brows scrunched together in confusion. "What are you talking about? Why what?"_

 _Paul gave her a probing look. "Tell me why I'm here."_

 _Nye blinked, and for some reason, she suddenly felt a pull of dread in her stomach._

 _"I-I don't..."_

 _Paul slowly stood, looking down at her, he gave her a look of understanding._

 _"I think you_ do _know. You're just not letting yourself think about it."_

 _Nye swallowed, for some unexplained reason, her throat closed up._

 _Paul looked at her, waiting for her response. When he didn't get one, he sighed, looking down at her in regret._

 _"I was hoping we could work through it. But it looks like it'll take more than me."_

 _Nye watched, paralyzed as Paul walked to the door._

 _With his grip on the handle, he slowly looked over his shoulder._

 _She didn't like the apologetic look on his face._

 _"I'm sorry for what's about to happen. But know, that this is for your own good."_

 _Nye shot up, opening her mouth, to ask for him to explain what this was, to demand to know what was about to happen, to beg for him to stay._

 _But he stepped through the door, looking back at her one last time, before the plank of wood cut between them._

 _As soon as the metal 'click' from the knob sounded, everything was plunged into darkness._

Nye blinked, feeling slightly out of breath.

"Well he seemed nice."

Nye's heart gave a painful squeeze.

"Yeah, I guess at this point we haven't gotten to know him yet, huh?"

Nye looked up, and despite the room still being plunged in darkness, she could see two forms, clear as day.

"This... this can't be real." She murmured.

Mason and Toby, both years younger than they were now, looked at each other in amusement, before looking back at her.

"Well, you're not dreaming anymore, so I guess you've gone crazy." The eight year old Mason said, looking exactly the same as the day he moved in with her.

"Hallucinations are normal for people with trauma, especially if they're dehydrated. Which she is." The eight year old Toby said, suddenly holding and looking through the encyclopedia he had brought with him when she had brought him home for the first time.

"Are crazy people allowed to foster kids?" Mason mused.

"Not crazy. Traumatized."

Nye sat up, still looking at them in disbelief. "I'm not traumatized." She halfheartedly argued, too shocked to actually get worked up.

Both boys simultaneously looked at her in chilling synchronization, raising challenging brows.

" **Then where'd you get those scars**?"

Nye recoiled, bringing her right arm up to her chest.

Both boys smirked, looking not unlike the Cheshire cat.

"Trauma-"

"-tized."

They sang together.

Nye flinched, looking between them warily. "This is wrong. Paul was normal, but you two, you seem-"

" **Twisted?** "

Nye gave a hesitant nod. And in the back of her head, she asked herself way she was handling this so calmly.

"That's 'cuz we are." Mason stated bluntly.

"We're not here to hold your hand and make you feel better like Paul, we're here to prepare you." Toby told her, not bothering to look up from his encyclopedia.

Nye shook her head, attempting to stand, but finding it strangely difficult. "Prepare for _what_?"

The two shared another look, before taking pity on her.

"We actually don't know ourselves." Mason said.

Nye tipped her head back. "What do you mean you don't know?!"

Toby gave a nonchalant shrug. "Things are kind of just happening. It's your fault, really."

Nye sat up straighter. " _My_ fault? I don't even know what the fuck is going on!"

"Well we're _your_ hallucinations, so yeah, your fault." Mason grumbled.

Toby sighed, standing. "All we do know, is that it's only going to get worse. Unless you tell us why we're here."

Nye growled, slamming her fist against the concrete, confused when she didn't hit it nearly as hard as she was trying.

"I don't know what that means!"

But then why did she feel a flicker of doubt when she said that?

Toby looked at her in disappointment, ushering Mason up.

"Guess it's on to the next then. Good luck." Toby waved to her, he and Mason walking into the darkness, and disappearing.

Nye closed her eyes, trying to make sense of all of this. But it didn't matter what angle she looked at it, everything still made no sense to her.

Especially not the weight settled in the bottom of her stomach, telling her she knew _exactly_ what was going on.

...

Static. Buzzing. White-noise. That was all Toby could hear, after being given a grief-stricken look from Glenn, when he finally saw the goggles hanging off the redneck's belt.

At first, he didn't believe it. Or rather, he refused to believe it.

But if that was the case, than why was Mason clinging to him with everything he had?

Toby knew. He knew as soon as he saw the goggles. He just didn't want to believe it.

At some point, he and his brother fell to the ground, knees thumping down on the concrete painfully, but he couldn't care less. The two simply clinged to each other, trying to steady the other one's sobs.

Suddenly, the static was gone, letting Toby hear everything with startling quality.

"Let me see the baby."

"We got anythin' a baby can eat?"

At the sound of Daryl's voice, both boys instinctively looked up, almost expecting to hear Nye's voice respond with something sarcastic.

But it was Hershel's voice instead. "The good news is, she looks healthy. But she needs formula. And soon, or she won't survive." The former vet warned them.

Daryl shook his head, slinging his crossbow over his shoulder. "No, no way. Not her. We ain't losin' nobody else. I'm goin' for a run."

"I'll back you up." Maggie sniffled.

"I'll go too." Glenn immediately backed up his girlfriend.

Good, this was good. That was what Daryl thought to himself as he kept readjusting his crossbow. Despite how he may have seemed on the outside, he was anxious and antsy. Not to mention the pit in his stomach only kept growing.

This was good. He needed something to do. He needed to get his mind off of _everything._

He needed to get his mind off of the goggles that weighed heavily on his belt.

And yet, even though they were a constant reminder, he seemed unable to let go of them.

 _"I've just got you wrapped around my finger, huh Hotshot?"_

He clenched his teeth, turning and marching to the gate.

"Come on, we're gonna lose the light!" He snapped, trying to block out the phantom snickers coming from behind him.

...

For what felt like the hundredth time, Nye licked her chapped lips. And just like every other previous try, it did nothing.

"Guess Toby was right. I am dehydrated." She murmured, sounding slightly hoarse.

She though back on it, and realized the last time she had had any water, was the night before. Everything had been so hectic, from her getting suddenly woken up by Daryl, to locking herself in the very room she now sat, trapped. There had been no time for her to eat, let alone drink something.

She was sure by this point, that it was at least night. If she listened hard, she thought she could even hear crickets. But she was pretty sure that was just in her head.

Leaning back against the wall, she tried getting as comfortable as she could. Thinking that it was best for her to rest, and try to regain some stamina.

It had nothing to do with the fact she might see someone who she had lost a long time ago.

Sure.

Falling asleep had never been easier.

 _This time, there was no dizzying confusion, just nervous anticipation as she took in where she was._

 _She was outside, sitting on a park bench. If she were to guess, she would say it was springtime._

 _As she looked around, eyes taking in the strangely familiar place, they landed on something that made her freeze._

 _Across the street, there was a small, almost frail looking girl, sitting on the parking-lot curb in front of her school. Boney knees tucked up under her chin, as she kept looking down either end of the street._

 _Nye felt something heavy in her chest as she saw the sundress the girl was wearing._

 _Yeah, she knew what day this was._

 _"Always did love seein' you in that dress. You'd somehow always manage to rough it up though, you rascal."_

 _Nye bit her lip, refusing to look to her left as she felt a body sit down beside her on the bench. She kept her eyes trained on the girl._

 _"What day was this again? Oh, right, picture day."_

 _"You_ know _what day this is." Nye immediately hissed, not finding any amusement in her joke._

 _This was the day, that little five year old girl, would sit on the curb for two hours, waiting for her Nana to come pick her up._

 _But Nana wasn't coming._

 _"Well, where do you think you got your trademark defense mechanisms from? Sure as hell wasn't from your deadbeat Daddy. No, that snark 'o yours is all me."_

 _Nye dug her nails into the bench, eyes still not leaving the girl._

 _"...Why won't ya look at me, Mouse?"_

 _Nye swallowed, biting her tongue to keep herself from replying._

 _"...Do you blame me?"_

 _Nye's stomach dropped. She instinctively turned, looking over at-_

Oh, that's right... That's what Nana looked like...

 _The woman, Elise, looked back at Nye with a look so soft it_ hurt.

 _Nye opened her mouth, closing it, before repeating the process._

 _"I-I could never-"_

 _Elise patted her granddaughter's knee. "I know you don't, Sweetie. But you_ were _hurt by me leavin'"_

 _Nye couldn't help but scoff indignantly. "I was "hurt"? Try fucking_ destroyed! _"_

 _Elise only kept staring at her softly. "Because me leavin', left you with my monster of a son?"_

 _Nye's anger slipped away, replaced by the weight of dread that always hit her whenever Martin was brought up._

 _"It's true, you don't blame me for passing. But you do, somewhere deep down, blame me for how you grew up. Whether you realize it or not."_

 _"N-no, you weren't the one who-who..."_

 _"Abused you."_

 _Nye flinched, as if being struck._

 _Elise's grip tightened on her knee. "You know, you've never said it out loud. You don't have to protect him."_

 _"I'm not! It's-I just... I'm fine."_

 _Elise's face hardened. "What was our rule?"_

 _Nye paused, looking back at the little girl._

 _"Never lie to Nana."_

 _"That's right. Now, let me ask you somethin'."_

 _Nye turned back._

 _"When was the last time you said "I'm fine", and meant it?"_

 _The defeated look on Nye's face was telling._

 _"That's what I thought. You need to face it. You need to accept what happened to you."_

 _Nye shook her head. "T-that's not-Look, it's over and done with, and I'm fi-" She cut herself off._

 _"Honey," Elise took Nye's face her hands. "You were abused."_

 _Nye closed her eyes._

 _"That son of a bitch used to handcuff you to the fuckin' furnace. And when you got too big for that, he bought a baseball bat."_

 _"I know." Nye whimpered, shuddering at the memories this was bringing on._

 _"And not once, have you told someone,_ confided _in someone, tellin' them you were abused."_

 _"I-I don't want them to think of me any different." Nye said faintly._

 _Elise nodded. "Alright, fair enough. But, I think you should at least say it to yourself. Stop pretendin', stop_ hidin'. _" She said fiercely, squeezing Nye's covered right wrist._

 _Nye gave a shaky nod, blinking away the wetness in her eyes._

 _"There's one more thing."_

 _Nye looked up at her, into two dark brown eyes. "Y-yeah?"_

 _"...Why'm I here, Mouse?"_

 _Nye blinked, feeling torn for some reason._

 _"I-I don't-"_

 _"Our rule, Mouse."_

 _Nye's jaw slammed shut._

 _Elise nodded, before slowly standing. "I had a feelin'. I have to go now, gotta make way for the next one."_

 _Nye watched, feeling paralyzed as Elise walked away, in the direction of the little girl._

 _Elise made it about fifteen feet, before Nye could force herself to stand._

 _She needed... She needed to hear it, one more time._

 _"N-Nana!"_

 _Elise stopped, turning her head slightly._

 _"Hmm?"_

 _Nye opened her mouth, fighting down the sobs shaking her chest._

 _"W-why did Mama n-name me "Niagara"?"_

 _Elise paused, looking back, and smiling at her granddaughter softly._

 _"...Your Mama used to travel. Always said that Niagara Falls was the most beautiful thing she ever saw."_

 _Nye cleared her throat, fighting for control of her voice, because she_ had _to finish her line._

 _"T-then w-what?"_

 _Elise only smiled wider._

 _"Then she had you. And you blew it right outta the water._ She wanted you to be the most beautiful Niagara there ever was. _"_

 _And that was it. Nye hung her head, body wracked with shuddering sobs. Sobs of a girl who never got to meet her mother._

 _"Lord, she would be_ so _proud of you."_

 _Nye's knees gave out._

 _She didn't even notice herself waking up. The grass under her knees slowly slipped away, being replaced by cold linoleum._

"Well ain't you a fucking mess."

Nye choked, blood rushing down from her face.

"Get yer skrawny ass off the floor, 'fore I hafta make ya."

She would never mistake that voice. Never mistake the way he spoke. Never mistake the unwavering contempt in his eyes.

Those eyes.

 _Her_ eyes.

She felt sick.

...

Night had fallen, and in the time that passed, the baby continued to wail to her heart's content.

Mason laid on the top bunk in Nye's cell, while Toby took the bottom.

Just like back at the quarry, when Nye had been left behind, the two boys buried themselves in her clothes.

Miraculously, they all still held the scent of peaches and daisies. Or maybe it was just in their heads. Either way, it was comforting.

Not a word was shared between the two, as they were too busy looking back on all the things they should have done differently.

For Toby, he was lamenting the fact he didn't get to say "I love you" one last time.

But Mason, he was thinking about how he should have called her "Mom", at least once. And how that could have made her feel.

Both boys, as a result, felt like horrible sons.

Downstairs, they heard the metal door to the cell-block swing open, hitting the wall from the force.

Daryl's urgent voice could be heard, asking "How's she doin'?"

Neither boy bothered getting up, they simply listened with half an ear as someone got a bottle of formula ready for the baby.

But, as Toby heard the cries being silenced by a bottle, he felt compelled to do something.

Lethargically getting up, the eleven year old grabbed his brother's arm, pulling on it.

Mason ignored him, refusing to move.

But Toby wasn't having it. Bracing his feet and shins against the frame of the bottom bunk, he tugged as hard as he could.

It was obvious he didn't think his plan through, as Mason fell down onto him like a ragdoll.

"Get, off, me." Toby growled as Mason continued to lay lifelessly on top of him.

When his brother remained silent, Toby resorted to a cheap shot.

He started pinching his ear.

After only a few seconds, Mason was slapping his hand away, fighting to get back to the top bunk.

But Toby was quick to grab his wrist in a vice-like grip, struggling to pull him out of the cell.

"Why." Mason barked, not having the energy, or motivation to do anything but lay in bed forever.

"Trust me." Toby replied shortly.

Mason reluctantly stopped dragging his feet.

Toby pulled him halfway down the staircase, before stopping. Sitting down, he gestured for Mason to do the same.

So, the two watched. Everyone but Rick and their lost loved ones were gathered around Daryl, as he held and fed the baby.

"She got a name yet?" Daryl softly asked the sheriff's son.

Carl shrugged stiffly. "Not yet... But I was thinking maybe Sophia." He said, looking over at Carol.

Said woman took a deep breath, blinking away some tears, and ducking her head.

"Then there's Andrea, too. And... Amy. Jacqui. Patricia..."

Everyone seemed to look down, thinking back on all the people they lost.

"Maybe... maybe Elise. Nye's middle name..."

Toby took his brother's hand, stopping the twelve year old from leaving.

"Or... Lori. I don't know." Carl shrugged again, face hidden by the brim of his hat as he hung his head.

Daryl looked back over to the stairs, watching the two boys who had come out of hiding.

His jaw clenched as he took in their blotchy red faces, and puffy eyes. Biting his lip, the goggles on his belt felt like they weighed a ton.

Looking down, he gently rocked the baby. Watching her suckle away on the bottle. "You like that? Huh? Little Ass-Kicker."

His term of endearment managed to crack a few smiles.

"Sounds like something she would say." Carol murmured softly as she stood near the boys on the stairs.

"Right? That's a good name, right?" Daryl jokingly argued. Before looking back down at the tired infant. "Little Ass-Kicker. You like that, huh? You like that, sweetheart?"

Carol smiled sadly, wishing a certain someone was there to witness her favorite redneck like this.

And as the short-haired woman looked to the two boys next to her, it only made her wish ten times harder.

But what good were wishes in the apocalypse? Carol, of all people, could testify that wishes didn't do shit.

...

She was sitting in an uncomfortably stiff chair, tense and feeling ready to run at a moments notice.

This hallucination was much more realistic than the one with Mason and Toby. This time, she wasn't housed in the pitch-black room. But rather a hallway in a hospital.

Sitting across from her, in another waiting-chair, was her father. Martin Conner.

Nye had yet to say anything, too busy trying not to have a panic attack.

Out of nowhere, screams came from behind the door to the left of Martin. Nye jolted, eyes now watching the door warily.

"Why the fuck am I here?" Martin demanded.

Nye involuntarily shuddered, eyes dropping down to the linoleum floor. She couldn't bring herself to answer.

Again, a pained scream pierced through the air. Once again coming from the door.

Martin scoffed, sitting back in his chair. "Un-fuckin'-believable."

Nye winced, hand instinctively moving to cover her right wrist.

The loudest scream yet, cut off anything she was even considering to say.

"Ya know that's you, right?"

Nye hesitantly tipped her head up.

Martin scowled at her, nodding to the door. "It's you, puttin' her through that pain."

Her brows furrowed, as she took that in.

"W-what are you-"

The screams were suddenly silenced, being replaced by a baby's crying.

Nye blanched.

Martin merely stared at her impassively.

"W-was... Is t-that...?"

"You, murderin' your mother?"

Nye grimaced, ducking her head again.

"Yes. It was."

The hallway stayed quiet as Nye listened to the baby that was supposed to be her, as she wailed.

"This i-isn't real. There's no w-way I could remember this." Nye stuttered.

"'Course it ain't real, you dumb bitch."

The baby's cries died off, turning into whimpers, before finally stopping.

"None o' this shit's real. I need to spell it out to ya?"

At that, her lips started moving on their own.

"Can you even spell? I was under the impression you were illiterate."

No sooner than the words were out of her mouth, was she slapping both hands over it. Eyes wide in horror as she registered what she just said.

She watched as Martin seethed in his chair, and years of conditioning had her closing her eyes tight, tensing in preparation for the blows that were surely to come.

But... nothing.

After ten seconds of silence, with no indication of him doing anything, she slowly opened her eyes, uncurling herself.

Martin still sat in his chair, only glaring hatefully at her.

Nye blinked, carefully sitting up and eyeing him warily.

"...Why aren't you hitting me?"

Silence. Stifling and thick with tension, as Martin continued to only glare at her. His lips pursed so hard they were turning white.

Nye fidgeted in her seat, watching him in trepidation. But that was when she noticed it. One of Martin's go-to moves, was that he always stood over her while she was seated. It was a way to assert his dominance, and make her feel even smaller than she already was.

This was probably the first time she was ever staring at him eye-to-eye.

In a move only achievable by years of breaking out of her shell, she leaned forward.

Brows twitching from nerves and confusion, she braced her elbows on her knees, leaning in and watching for his reaction at her next words.

"...You _can't_ , can you?"

The harsh exhale and further pursing of his lips was all the answer she needed.

For a long time, or what just _felt_ like a long time, she didn't know what to do with that information. Because here she was, sitting with her father, who as far as she could tell, couldn't even touch her.

And as it finally hit her, the most light, airy feeling filled her abdomen.

He couldn't touch her.

Slowly, Nye started to smile.

"You can't touch me." She whispered, somewhat in awe.

But, then she realized...

 _When was the last time he_ could _touch me?_

Years. It had been years, and yet she still treated him like a threat. Treated him like he was going to come around a corner at any given time, and hurt her.

In that moment, Nye was hit with a mountain of self-loathing. Wasn't she supposed to be the cool 'devil-may-care' chick in the group? The one who would do anything, like eat a live spider or something, on a dare?

So why, why was she so terrified of a memory?

Using some more of her confidence she gained throughout the years, she leaned back this time. Crossing one leg over the other, she narrowed her eyes at him, and decided to turn the tables.

"Why _are_ you here?"

"To make you see reason." Martin hissed.

Nye raised a trembling brow, hoping he wouldn't see past her bravado. "Right, 'cause we all know _you're_ the reasonable one here."

Martin shot forward, and Nye quickly tried hiding her harsh wince.

"You're the one who took her away from me! I'm not the killer! Don't talk like yer above me!"

Nye's eyes widened, but instead of fliching away from his shouts like she would have years ago, she saw red at what he was implying.

"Are you serious?" Nye hissed dangerously.

Martin, of course, didn't back down. "You ruined my life the day you were born."

A red, angry flush of color bloomed on her cheeks. The kind of blush only obtainable by pure outrage. With Elise's words ringing in her head, Nye said the thing she should have said a long time ago.

"You _abused_ me! You damaged me in ways that still effect me to this day! And yet you still have the gall to sit there, and act like _you're_ the victim?" Nye spat, glaring venomously at him.

Martin remained silent, staring at her with the same blueish green eyes that greeted her in the mirror every day. Those eyes she always hated.

And never before had she wanted more to gouge them out, than right now.

Standing, Nye stared her father down for the first time in her life. And while yes, he was only something her mind had constructed, it still felt empowering to look down on him.

" _You_ were never the victim. _You_ were the one who got Beverley, a sixteen year old girl, pregnant. _You_ were the one who destroyed any dream she had of travelling all over the world. _You_ were the one who made Nana start stress smoking again, _You_ were the one, who _chained me up_ , and _beat me with a baseball bat_."

She panted, feeling light-headed, and exhausted from standing alone. But she wasn't done.

"That, all of it. Was on _you_." She growled. " _None of it_ was ever my f-"

Her eyes widened, mouth slamming shut. The knot she felt her insides tied up into, unraveled. And an indescribable heavy, yet weightless feeling filled her chest.

 _Oh._

Swallowing thickly, Nye watched, as Martin vanished, leaving his chair empty.

A soft 'click' came from the door that had been to Martin's left, as it started inching open slightly.

Almost roboticly, Nye took the metal handle, pushing the door open further.

What met her, was a dark, and empty diner. The only light was coming from a large window next to a certain booth. A beautiful sunset casted the diner in a calming pink and orange light.

A lone, small body sat at the booth. And as they turned away from the window, to look over at her, Nye gave a watery giggle.

"There you are."

...

Morning had come, and thankfully the unnamed baby had slept rather soundly. Only waking up to cry twice.

Mostly everyone was asleep, and given the facts that they had had one of the longest days _ever_ yesterday, and the sun was only now breaking over the horizon, it was no surprise.

The grass rustled softly under him, as he marched his way to his destination. The bottom of his pant legs becoming damp from the morning dew.

All too soon, he found himself in front of three graves.

In the back of his mind, Daryl wondered who had made the crosses.

Slowly, almost hesitantly, he took the goggles off of his belt. Looking down, he studied them.

They were old, and worn down. the lenses looked to be regular glass, and both were surrounded by soft leather. They honestly looked more like something that belonged in a museum, not on top of a reckless, still maturing, woman's head.

Running his thumb over the leather, he noticed the black and dark grey soot stains. Leading him to believe they had once belonged to a wielder.

At this point, he knew he was stalling. But some part of him was entirely too reluctant to let go of them. At some point in the past, the goggles had become a permanent fixture of how he thought of her.

When he looked for her in the group, the first thing he scanned for, were the goggles sitting atop her head. And whenever he couldn't figure out what she was thinking, he'd watch what she would do with them.

A readjustment meant she was thinking. A tug on the back of the strap meant she was angry. Knotting her fingers in them meant she was scared or nervous. And pulling them down, closer to her eyes, while ducking her head, usually happened when she was paid a complement.

He would probably be able to identify them in a lineup, with his eyes closed.

But, they weren't his. They were _hers_ , in every sense of the word. He honestly couldn't imagine anyone else but her wearing them. More than that, he didn't _want_ to imagine it.

Before walking out of the cell-block, he had entertained the idea of giving them to Mason and Toby, which made the most sense. But neither kid seemed to even be able to look at them.

So, here he was.

He shuffled his feet, biting his lip, before finally stepping forward.

Being more gentle than he knew he needed to be, he carefully hooked the strap over the top of the cross. Letting go, and letting the goggles hang there.

Stepping back, he ignore any irritation in his eyes, or any heat quickly spreading from them to his nose.

He didn't say anything, didn't feel like he needed to. Because that's how it was for them. She would say something ridiculous to get a reaction, and he would silently respond accordingly. She never needed a verbal response to know what he was saying.

As he turned, he saw two people stepping out of the cell-block, walking in his direction.

Nodding to himself, he started walking back, deciding to let the boys be with their mother in peace.

Enough mourning, he needed to find Rick.

...

Her footsteps were soft, barely making a noise in the quiet diner. Everything around her seemed muted as she slid into the other side of the booth. _Their_ booth.

Then, she just stared.

Across from her, he ducked his head sheepishly, looking up at her through his bangs.

 _He's thirteen. The same as when we met._ She thought to herself in awe.

"W-what?" He asked, fidgeting in his seat.

Nye shook her head, though her eyes never left him.

"I love you. You're my baby brother and _I love you so fucking much_ -"

"Aggy."

Nye closed her mouth, sniffling and well aware of the tears running down her face.

Shepherd gave her one of his closed mouth smiles, reaching over the table for her hand.

Nye immediately took his offered hand with both of hers.

"There is _so much_ I want to tell you." Nye squeaked, throat tight and unyielding.

Shepherd squeezed her hand. "I know. But we don't have a lot of time."

Swallowing, she shook her head vehemently. "No, Shep, I-I need to-"

Another soft squeeze shut her up.

"I think you've figured it out."

Nye gave a single, stiff nod.

"...Why we're here."

Refusing to look up at him, she answered the question.

"It's because... It wasn't my fault."

Shepherd grinned proudly, nodding to her encouragingly.

Looking up at him, she gave him a bitter smile.

"...That's what you wanted to hear, right?"

Shepherd's grin slowly fell.

Nye gave a him a smile filled to the brim with shame. "I know that's what you-that's what _I_ want to say. But I don't mean it."

Leaning back, she let her fingers slip through his.

"I know there some things I wouldn't have been able to change. Sophia wasn't my fault. Dale wasn't my fault. Randall wasn't my fault. Andrea wasn't my fault. T-Dog wasn't my fault." Taking a deep, shuddering breath, she forced the list to go on.

"Beverley wasn't my fault either. I know that. Logically I do. But I still feel _so guilty_."

Shepherd sat forward, taking back her hands. "And I wasn't-"

"No."

"But Aggy-"

" _No._ " Nye barked. "You... you're... That was on me."

Shepherd scowled fiercely at her. "You weren't the one who killed me!"

Nye flinched, closing her eyes and trying to banish the memories. The cop cars, the ambulance, the _blood._

"You were late! By half an hour! You're never late, how could I have thought you were okay!?"

"It's not on you, Aggy! It was never on you!" Shepherd yelled, practically begging her to believe him at this point.

She shook her head. "But you're my baby brother. And it was my job to protect you."

"No, it was my foster mom's job. But you were the only one who looked out for me."

She looked back down at the polished wood of the table. "...I wanted to kill him. That _fucking_ boyfriend of hers, I-"

"Can't do anything about it now. Besides, he was found guilty and sent away."

"Of course he was. He was covered in your blood." Nye scoffed darkly.

Silence fell over them, and Shepherd gripped her hand tightly.

"...We still have a little bit of time left. Do... do you want to talk about... stuff?"

"Yeah," She snorted. "Let's talk about stuff."

"Cool. You first."

Giggling tearily, she leaned over the table on her elbows. "Okay, well..."

For a second, she had no idea what to talk about. Then, it hit her.

"You, uh, you have two nephews."

Shepherd shot forward. "Are you serious? But you're so young!"

Flicking his nose at the accusatory tone, Nye gave him a look. "Calm down, they're adopted."

"Well in that case, tell me about them."

The sun remained stationary as Nye talked about her boys for what felt like hours, continuously bathing them in it's warm light. Shepherd would nod, smile, and laugh as she told him story after story about his nephews. Not once did it cross Nye's mind, that he already knew all of this, him being a figment of her imagination and all. But that hurtfully familiar way his eyes would light up, the little uneven dimples on his cheeks, and the sweet sound of his shy laughter, all tricked her into believing, at least for a little while, that he was there with her.

And it all ended, far too soon.

For awhile at that point, the diner had started flickering. Being replaced by the dark, cold room she was truly in.

After the longest flicker yet, Shepherd gave her a long, sad look.

"I think time's up." He whispered softly.

Shaking her head in denial, Nye held his hands tighter, all while the sun finally started to truly set.

"No, no, no..." Nye chanted, sobs already beginning to wrack her chest. "Not again, I can't do this again."

With a smile thought didn't remotely reach his eyes, his hands left hers. The room now dimming dramatically as the sun was almost set.

"You have to make me a promise Aggy."

Nye nodded violently. "Anything! Just _please don't go._ "

A hand ghosted across her face, tucking away a stray strand of hair.

"You have to promise you won't blame yourself anymore."

For a second, Nye stopped breathing entirely.

"You have to _promise_ , you won't hate yourself anymore. _Promise me_."

Holding the wet sobs captive deep in her chest, she took a good long look at her brother's face, knowing that this was it, at least for a long time.

Her lips slowly opened, the words coming out in barely even a whisper.

"I promise."

Shepherd smiled at her, _really_ smiled. And in her weakened state, she rolled the idea of eating her gun around in her head, so long as it meant he didn't have to leave.

But that would mean leaving Mason and Toby. Leaving the group. Leaving the only family she had.

Besides, she was out of bullets.

The diner flickered once, twice, and finally after the third time, the diner didn't come back.

That was when she lost it.

An ear-piercing scream sounded, bouncing and amplifying off the concrete walls around her.

She only stopped after the screams became nothing more than a squeaky exhale. That was when the sobbing took its place.

Laid out in the fetal-position, a wet spot began to form around her face. But she couldn't care less.

Walkers started banging on the door, having heard her breakdown.

To try and drown out the foreboding bangs, she languidly picked her monkey wrench up off the ground by a few inches, before letting it drop back down. The metal 'clang' sounded almost no different to the Walkers banging, but at least she knew _she_ was making the noise.

By the time her tears ran dry, which was after an eternity, the Walkers were silenced.

She paid no mind to the silence, and continued on with beating her wrench into the ground. If she was lucky, it would sometimes cause sparks.

Feeling cold, tired, and emotionally empty, she didn't even look up when-

The door opened.


	22. Abandonment

**Head's up, next chapter is already written (Anti-depressants rock!) But, I'm gonna wait until the chapter after THAT is written, to post it. I'm hoping to keep it this way, so I'll always have at least one chapter to fall back on.**

 **Also, you're about to get hit with some Naryl fluff, followed buy a shit ton of angst. Sorry.**

 **(And sorry for any errors, too tired to beta read)**

* * *

Looking back on it, Daryl realized that Merle, when it came down to it, was the reason Nye down right disliked him from the beginning.

He remembers vividly what her first words to him had been.

 _"Wow, that's impressive."_

She had said it after he and Merle went hunting for the camp for the first time. Bringing back several squirrel, rabbits, and even a couple snakes. And it wasn't said to be sarcastic either. Just genuine respect.

Then, she had given them this big, blinding smile.

He wonders how things would have been if Merle had never opened his mouth.

But of course, the elder Dixon had to take the opportunity to hit on her.

If he was being honest, Daryl couldn't even remember what Merle had said at this point, just that it had been vulgar, and sexist.

Something had flickered on behind her eyes, almost looking like she was experiencing deja vu. And in the future, especially after seeing her scars, Daryl would end up concocting a theory as to why Nye would have had experience with people like Merle.

Of course, because of Merle's behavior, and the fact Daryl did nothing to try and defuse the situation, she automatically assumed he and Merle were one in the same. And he really couldn't blame her for that assumption.

But as soon as Merle was gone, things between them started shifting.

Things she had chosen to ignore, were suddenly impossible to turn a blind eye to. Especially the way he looked out for her kids.

So if there was one good thing to come out of getting separated from Merle, it was his friendship with her.

Sitting in the prison's catacombs, after clearing out any Walkers they had come across, Daryl gripped a key-chain he was painfully familiar with.

After sending Oscar, and the three boys back to the cell-block, he had spotted the bright, almost neon pink of Nye's donut key-chain. There were four keys total on it, only one looked to be a car key.

But the most important detail, was that it was covered in blood. Walker blood to be specific.

If Daryl were to guess, he would say she had probably done something outrageous, like put the keys between her fingers, and use them similarly to brass-knuckles.

Leaning against the concrete wall, Daryl tossed the keys back and forth in his hands, trying to ignore the incessant _clang_ -ing coming from the metal door in front of him.

'Clang'

'Clang'

'Clang'

Whatever it was that was doing it, hadn't stopped _once_ since he entered the hallway.

'Clang'

With every metal-on-concrete bang, he could feel his blood pressure raising.

'Clang'

With every hit, he thought of another way Nye could have died down here.

'Clang'

She was the real reason he was down there. Not to clear out the Walkers. But to _find her_. Because despite how hard he knew it would be for him to carry her lifeless body back to the courtyard-

'Clang'

-he would rather have her buried, than let her rot, or be eaten, down there.

'Clang'

...That was it.

Standing with a huff, and gripping her keys so tightly he could feel it leaving indents, Daryl took two strides forward, grabbing the door handle. Pulling out and raising his knife, he swung the door open-

'Clang'

...And there she was.

All air seemed to escape him as he stared at her. Laid out in the fetal position, making her look even smaller than she already was. In her left hand, she would shakily raise her wrench a couple inches, before letting it go. But he could no longer hear the banging, as everything sounded as if he was underwater.

Her messy bangs hid the majority of her face, and Daryl felt a lurch in his stomach the longer she refused to look up at him.

Dropping his knife, Daryl crouched down, rushing to brush her hair away, and check her pulse.

As soon as he touched her, her eyes flew open, staring at him in shock with her big, doe-like, green eyes.

Green.

Not milky white.

 _Green._

Daryl felt the weight of the world lift from his shoulders.

She opened her mouth, staring at him with disbelieving eyes. But all that came out of her mouth was a tiny squeak.

The fact she couldn't seem to talk, and the redness of her eyes and face, made Daryl remember something she had eluded to back at the CDC.

She was claustrophobic.

Moving slow and gentle as not to scare her, Daryl hooked her wrench back onto her belt, before putting his arms under her, and lifting her up.

Carrying her in almost the exact same way he had during the "lake incident" in winter, Daryl carefully stepped over the dead Walkers in their path. Trying not to jostle her.

Looking down at her face, Daryl could see this sort of foggy-ness in her eyes. He didn't really trust that she was all there.

Once entering the cell-block, he was irritated to see no one there. The sooner Mason and Toby saw their mom, the better.

Not bothering to take her to her own cell, seeing as how it was up the catwalk, and he really didn't want to risk trying to carry her up stairs, he took her into the closest one to the door.

After laying her down on the bed, he brushed the hair out of her face.

"Hey, Nye, listen. I'll be right back, don't move."

After getting a sort of drunken nod, he wasted no time running out of the cell. Grabbing a water bottle, an easy-open can of spaghetti o's, and a spoon, he looked around the cell-block one more time. Confirming that no one but the two of them were there.

When he ran back into the cell, he huffed in exasperation.

Despite his order, Nye had sat herself up, looking much more aware of everything. Including him.

Looking up at him in confusion, she started talking.

"D-Dar-"

At the squeaky, almost choked quality of her voice, Nye immediately cut herself off, looking down at her lap with furrowed brows.

"Here."

When she looked up, the first thing she saw was an opened bottle of water. But it might as well have been the only thing she saw.

If her mouth could have, it would have watered.

Taking it, she immediately started chugging it down. She emptied almost half the bottle before Daryl intervened.

"Hey, hey, hey..." He softly chastised, reaching over and tipping the bottle down.

Glaring at him over the plastic, Nye reluctantly lowered the bottle.

"W-what happened." She asked, sounding slightly better after the water.

"Later." He appeased, handing her the opened spaghetti o's. "Eat this."

Ignoring her painful hunger, Nye stared him down instead of taking the food. "Mason and Toby. Are they okay?"

"They're fine. Eat." He ordered, putting the can in her hands.

Nodding, she let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. In seconds she was shovelling spoonfuls into her mouth.

"Where 're they?" Nye asked around a mouthful of soup.

"Outside I bet. Slow down."

"Make up yer mind." She grumbled, rolling her eyes and swallowing her previous bite before doing as he said.

While she was busy eating, Daryl took the time to look her over.

There was barely any of her clothes that didn't have blood splatter on it, whether it be from a Walker, or a person. There were a couple scrapes on her right cheek, accompanied by a split in her lip. Her hair was a complete bird's-nest, the ponytail band that once held her hair together, was now missing. And it was clear that she had cried. A lot.

But there was some sort of light in her eyes as well. Something that looked totally new.

Hearing one of the doors swing open, Daryl stood and looked out. Seeing Rick and a few others bringing in some random woman who looked to be wounded.

"Wha's going on?"

Fighting the urge to tell her not to talk with her mouth full, Daryl looked back at her.

"I'll check it out, stay here."

Watching him leave, Nye's eyes locked on the back of his vest.

 _Those wings really suit him._

After a conversation she couldn't make out, a mass of shadows approached the cell.

The first one around the corner was Rick, who stared down at her in, what could only be described as awe.

Using the top bunk as support, she stood herself up on shaky legs.

"Howdy Sheri-"

He cut her off, taking her totally off guard, by hugging her fiercely.

"Thank God. _Thank God_."

A mighty blush spread across her face. Nye awkwardly patted Rick on the back, feeling undeniably warm and fuzzy.

Looking over his shoulder, Nye saw the majority of the group come into view.

"How?" Hershel asked in joyful disbelief.

"Found my way into solitary."

"Stubborn thing fought her way into a cell. Must have passed out. Dehydrated." Daryl told them, standing off to the side.

A loud clatter caught everyone's attention. Looking out, they saw the red basket of formula the mystery woman brought in, had slipped out of someone's hands.

Two pairs of eyes were staring into the cell, disbelief and denial painted on their faces.

They couldn't get their hopes up. Nye could only come back to them so many times.

But, all it took was a wide, toothy smile from her, for them to believe it.

The group immediately parted to let Mason and Toby through, and hug their mom.

Grappling for any part of her they could get their hands on, both buried their faces into her chest. The dried blood not even bothering them, in fact, they probably didn't even notice, because _Nye_.

While Toby full on blubbered into her shirt, Mason was silently shaking like a leaf.

"I'm okay, I'm o-"

" _M-M-Mom..._ "

Nye choked.

Both boys gripped her tighter as soon as Mason whispered the name. Almost as if they were fearful of her reaction.

" _S-so scared Mom..._ " Toby added, whimpering into her shirt.

Mouth opening and closing like a dying fish, Nye's shoulders started shaking as well.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. _I'm so sorry_." Was all she could find in herself to say.

Even if she hadn't had that bottle of water, she would have still ended up crying. Screw dehydration.

The group watched, bitter-sweet smiles on their faces. Though, Carl looked like he had just bitten into a lemon.

The thing to break up the family reunion, was the coo of a baby.

Nye stiffened as soon as she heard it.

When she looked, she assumed she'd see Lori standing there, grinning and holding Baby-Grimes.

But instead, it was Beth holding the baby.

Brows furrowing in confusion, she looked to Rick.

"Is Lori on bed-rest?"

Rick's eyes fell closed, as he ducked his head.

Mason and Toby gripped her tighter, as if knowing the news she was about to receive would make her unstable.

And as she stared down at Carl, it clicked.

Her head whipped around, and her eyes bored into Rick's, begging, pleading for him to tell her some good news.

All he did was shake his head.

Feeling like the rug had been pulled out from under her, Nye's knees gave out. But Mason and Toby held tighter, keeping her upright.

 _If I had been there._

Nye's stomach churned.

 _If I had been there. I could have saved her._

One step forward. Three steps back.

She could forgive herself for some things. She could even learn to not hate herself, like she promised. But she knew, immediately, that this was something that would follow her around, hanging over her like a guillotine.

...

"How do you know we can trust her?" Oscar asked in suspicion.

"This is Maggie and Glenn. Why are we even debatin'?" Beth argued

"We ain't. I'll go after them." Daryl said.

Nye shook her head, looking up from the baby in her arms. "Not alone you're not."

"Nye's right, this Woodbury place sounds pretty secure." Rick said, staring down Daryl. "You can't go alone."

"I'll go." Beth volunteered.

"Me too." Axel stepped up, before turning to look at Oscar.

After a pause to think it over, Oscar crossed his arms. "I'm in."

Carol shrugged stiffly. "Sure, let's do it."

Nye sat up. "I'll-"

Mason and Toby dug their fingers into her new and clean shirt.

"You're stayin'." Daryl downright ordered, cutting her off.

Blinking owlishly, Nye stammered. "I-I was gonna say "I'll stay here". I know I'm out of commission for a bit. Cool your jets."

As Daryl nodded a bit sheepishly, Nye couldn't help but smile. Finding the mundane sight rather endearing.

...

It was ultimately decided that the only ones going were Rick, Daryl, Oscar, and the mystery woman named Michonne. Everyone else was going to stay and watch the prison.

As the car was being filled with weapons, Nye stood by the door of the cell-block, watching everyone. Mason and Toby had gone to help pack everything up, but she kept catching them watching her over their shoulders. Though, who could blame them?

As soon as the car was filled up, and they slammed the trunk shut, Daryl walked up to her, backpack slung over his shoulder.

Before he could say anything, she was talking a mile a minute.

"You better be safe. I'll kick your ass if I don't see you walking back through the gate without a scratch. So don't even think-"

"I'll be fine."

Nye sighed through her nose, slowly bouncing the baby. "Yeah, yeah you will be." She paused, before tacking on "Or else."

"Stay safe." He ordered, patting her on the shoulder.

She rolled her eyes as he walked away. "Sure, just go find our favorite love-birds."

The four of them piled into the car, while the rest watched.

As the car pulled away, Nye felt a knot form in her stomach.

"You okay, Mom?" Toby sheepishly asked.

At the new name, Nye forgot about the knot, instead she focused on how her heart soared.

With her free arm she pulled her two gremlins into a three-way hug. "Yeah, just... worried."

"About Daryl." Mason surmised.

Off in space, Nye started nodding, before she crashed back down. "Wait, what? N-no- Well, _yes_ , but, no. I'm worried about everyone."

Mason hummed, while Toby gave her a contemplative look.

All while this conversation was going on, Carol stood back, slowly smirking.

Looks like they were getting there.

...

"Hey, we need to talk."

Carl didn't look up, instead he focused more energy than he needed into kicking around some pebbles.

Nye sighed, tucking her hands into her hoodie's pockets.

"Chief, we have to talk about it. Otherwise, how long are you gonna not be able to look at me?"

Carl's shoulders stiffly bounced up and down, as he continued to keep his back to her.

Biting her lip, Nye looked around the courtyard, hoping to find something to say. And when her eyes fell on the three graves, she decided to just wing it.

"It wasn't my fault."

Carl finally turned, only to glare at her in slight confusion.

Before he could make a retort, she continued on. "Yeah, it wasn't my fault. And it wasn't Maggie's fault either. Or Toby's, or Rick's, or even Lori's."

She took a step forward, bending down to look him in the eyes from under his hat.

"And it sure as hell, is _not yours_."

"Then why does it feel like it is?" Carl huffed.

Nye took a second, pursing her lips, before shrugging. "I don't know. But whatever it is that's making you feel that... I've got it too."

Carl looked down, kicking another pebble. "...After it happened, I asked Maggie something."

"What'd you ask her?"

"...If you could have done something if you were there."

Inhaling sharply, Nye eyed the kicked pebble. "And what did she say?"

"...She said, she didn't think there was anything you could've done."

The clawed hand that had been crushing her chest in a vice, loosened. And Nye felt like she could breath again, the fog in her head seemed to recede as well. But some piece of the guilt lingered, as it always did.

"I don't know if it makes me feel better or worse." He mumbled.

Looking back up at him, Nye offered a sad smile. "I'm so sorry you had to be there."

Carl answered her with a halfhearted shrug.

After a second of debating with herself, she stood to full height, taking Carl's hand and started leading him back to the cell-block.

"My mom died the same way."

The sheriff hat jerked as Carl's head shot up. "Really?"

She nodded. "Mmhmm. She was sixteen when she got pregnant, and I guess her body just couldn't take it. Right after I was born, she only had enough time to hold me, and give me a name, before she died."

As they came to the metal door, Carl's hand tightened around hers, pulling her to a stop. When she looked down, he was already looking up at her imploringly.

"She sounds nice."

Nye blinked, then gave an incredulous chuckle. "You- Carl, you don't even know her name."

His hand released hers, and he opened the door.

"Yeah, but, you wouldn't be around without her. So, I like her."

Nye watched in stunned silence as Carl casually walked into the cell-block, as if he hadn't just said something that made her eyes water.

Once inside, Nye took notice of the almost sombre quiet that held onto everything.

It made sense though, everyone's shared feeling of worry and dread. With Glenn and Maggie missing, no one seemed able to even try looking on the bright side.

With pursed lips, Nye scoped out the room. Hoping that something would jump out at her, that she could use to distract everyone.

Thankfully, her stomach chose that moment to grumble, giving her an idea. So, with a tight grin, Nye clapped her hands, gaining everyone's attention.

"'Kay, let's make something to eat."

...

Soft melodious strums of a guitar were the background to hushed conversations going on in the cell-block. Nye sat on her bottom bunk, gently brushing her thumb down on the strings in no particular pattern. Glancing up at the faint moonlight coming in through the windows, She tried to stomp down the concern welling up inside of her.

Mason and Toby had dragged their mattresses into her cell, laying them down next to each other on the floor. They were both currently tucked in, staring up at her as she played.

Without realizing it, Nye had slowly started to drift off into the 'what ifs' of what was going on with the rest of the group. Her hand slowed in its movement, until it stopped altogether.

"Mom?"

For a second Nye didn't respond, not used to the new title. But she quickly caught on, and with a smile she turned to look at Toby.

"Hmm?"

"Are you okay?"

Nye opened her mouth, seconds away from saying "I'm fine", but chose to forfeit that overused statement.

"Just... wondering why you're both calling me "Mom" all of a sudden." She decided was a much better response.

Toby stuffed his head into Button, a light blush dusting his cheeks.

"'Cuz we should have been for a while now." Mason said seriously.

Humming, Nye smiled down at them. "Well, I'm glad you both see me that way."

Toby's blush darkened, and Mason bit his lips, looking down at her cheeks instead of meeting her eyes.

Giggling quietly, she sat back and readjusted her guitar. But just as she put her fingers back on the cords, there was a faint, muffled scream that came from deeper in the prison.

Dropping her instrument on the bed, Nye was out of the cell in a heartbeat. Looking over her shoulder, she pointed down at the boys.

"Stay!"

And for once, neither one listened. As Nye practically jumped down the stairs, Mason and Toby were right on her heels.

Beth and Hershel stood at the bottom of the stairs, and Nye almost stumbled and fell when she could spot no sight of Carl.

"Tell me he didn't!" She pleaded as she ran past them.

"He did." She heard Hershel call after her.

"Son of a _bitch!_ "

Converse sneakers squeaking as she made a sharp turn, Nye chanced a glance behind her, growling lowly when she saw her kids keeping pace.

The screams lead them to a boiler room, and a second after they got there, they heard a gunshot. Followed by another one.

The door to a room to the left of the boiler was open, and Nye immediately spotted Carl. As well as five other people she didn't recognize.

Grabbing Carl's shoulder, she dragged him behind her, pulling out her pistol and aiming it at the group of people. But as her eyes landed on the bite wound adorning one of the women's arms, the pistol lowered a few inches.

Shrugging out of her grip, Carl stepped forward, eyeing the people in a way that reminded Nye heavily of their leader.

Moans and groans became louder as more Walkers emerged to take the places of the dead ones.

"C'mon! Hurry!"

One of the men picked up the bit woman, carrying her bridel-style.

As they all ran through the corridors, Nye tried corralling the three kids next to her, but Carl was determined to be the one to lead them back. She was relieved to see that Mason and Toby were both still carrying their guns.

Behind them, the man holding the woman fell, shouting in exertion.

"Just go!" He said as everyone stopped and looked back.

"Let me take her!" The second man, who wore a worn out beanie, said while moving to take the woman.

"I'll cover you!" The second woman told him, brandishing her shovel.

The man wearing the beanie slung the bit woman over his shoulder, calling for the second woman's attention.

As the woman with the shovel turned back around from killing a few Walkers, she spotted something over Carl's shoulder.

"Look out!"

Without a second of hesitation, Carl spun around, shooting and killing the Walker that had been sneaking up behind him.

Turning back, Carl looked to the man carrying the now unconscious woman. "You have to leave her!"

"No way!" He barked back, holding the woman tighter.

Popping off a couple more shots, Nye cleared a way through the Walkers. Pushing the kids through first, she then urged the new group of people forward, planning to keep to the rear and pick off the Walkers that got too close.

Nye wasn't sure how Carl knew where it was like the back of his hand, but he ended up leading them back to the room outside the cell-block.

"Here, here." Carl called, opened the barred door and nodding at them to go through.

"Oh, God! Donna?" One of the men moaned in anguish, as the one with the beanie laid her down.

The way she stared blankly up at the ceiling, with no rise and fall of her chest, was all the confirmation they needed.

"Is she dead?" The teenage boy asked shakily.

Finally lowering her gun fully, Nye nudged Mason and Toby's guns down.

"I-is she dead? Baby?" The man, who Nye figured was the woman's boyfriend or husband, sobbed as he crawled over to her.

Carl looked on with such a level of detachment that Nye felt slightly sick.

"I'll take care of it." The sheriff's son stated calmly, aiming his gun down at the woman's head.

"Whoa!"

"Hey hey hey!" Nye shouted, putting her hand over his, and forcing his gun away.

"Whoa, kid. Wait a minute." The man with the beanie said, raising his hands in a show of peace.

Nye appreciated how he didn't make a move to physically stop Carl.

"She doesn't have that long." Carl argued.

"It's not safe to let her turn." Mason tagged on.

"It's not kind either." Toby quietly spoke, remembering all the images his mind has conjured of members of the group turning.

The woman with the shovel shook her head in slight disbelief, looking between the three armed kids, and adult. "Who the hell _are_ you? How did you get in here? Who else are you with?"

"People trying to survive. With strategy. And none of your business." Nye said, giving short and sweet answers, feeling they were the only explanations the new people needed.

"Look, we can help you." Carl told them, then gestured down at the dead woman with his gun. "But first thing's first."

Before he could pull the trigger, both Nye and the man with the beanie stopped him.

The man shook his head. "No, we take care of our own."

He reached over, taking a hammer from the teenager.

"Wait."

The man looked up, and Nye held out one of her hunting knives.

"...Less of a mess." She murmured.

The man watched her for a second, before nodding in thanks, as he took the knife.

The woman's maybe-husband practically threw himself on top of her body, keeping the other guy from ending it.

"No, Tyreese!"

The man, Tyreese, shook his head sadly. "I gotta do it. Look, just take Ben and lean against the wall."

The still unnamed man trembled, stiffly moving off of the body.

"It'll be quick." Tyreese quietly assured him.

The man leaned down once more, kissing the woman's forehead. "It's okay. It's okay." He whispered to her. As he pulled back, he placed a red and white rag over her face, before standing and giving the boy, Ben, a fierce hug.

Tyreese placed the tip of the knife to the woman's temple, but before he pierced through, the woman still holding the shovel spoke up.

While they had been busy, Nye and the three boys entered the cell-block, closing and locking the door.

"Hey, what are you doing?" The woman asked, panicking slightly.

"Kid, did you just lock us in here?" Tyreese asked as he stood.

"Open the door." The woman ordered, shaking in either fear or anger, Nye couldn't tell.

"This room is secure. You'll be safe." Carl assured them, not at all feeling threatened.

"You've got food and water."

"And a roof over your head."

Nye put her hands on her kids' shoulders, silencing them.

The woman marched up to the door, glaring at them. "Open this door."

"I can't."

"Come on, man. We're not animals." She argued, gripping the metal bars. "Don't do this."

As soon as she caught sight of Hershel, she rattled the bars. "Hey! You can't just leave us in here! Open this door! Open it! Now!"

"Sasha!" Tyreese called, putting his hand around her upper-arm, slowly pulling her away.

"Back away from their door and let the man go."

At his calm tone, Nye's posture relaxed slightly. She gave him a a thankful look, which he silently acknowledged.

He pulled Sasha farther back, and gave her a severe stare.

"Look around you. This is the best we've had it in weeks. _His_ house." He nodded in Carl's direction.

Nye swelled with pride for the mini-sheriff, but also paused to take in the fact that Carl obviously held a stronger air of authority than her.

Tyreese nodded to the cooling body. "Besides, we got other things to do."

After getting a glare, and reluctant nod from Sasha, Tyreese turned to look at them through the door.

"We don't want any trouble."

Nye smiled tightly, finding herself hoping that Rick would allow them to stay. Or at least just Tyreese.

"Shouldn't we help them?" Beth meekly asked, watching them walk to the other side of the room.

"I did." Carl stated, moving away from the door.

Rolling her eyes good-naturedly, Nye slapped the brim of the sheriff hat, forcing the hat down over Carl's face.

"Stop sounding so mature. Isn't it past your bedtime?"

Glaring up at her with no real heat, Carl ignored her and sat down on the stairs, keeping watch.

And with her keen mom-instincts, Nye swiftly grabbed the backs of Mason and Toby's shirts, keeping them from running off like she knew they would.

"Don't think I forgot how you two disobeyed a direct order."

While Toby simply went limp in her arms, Mason pouted up at her.

"What are you, our General or something?"

Grinning as she dragged them all back to her cell, Nye was practically skipping.

"Nope, just your Mom."

...

In the morning Hershel and Nye went to the new people, offering to patch them up however they could. Carl, Mason, and Toby followed to guard the two.

"You can take those stitches out yourself in a week or so."

"Thank you." Allen, who Nye finally learned the name of, nodded at Hershel, rolling back down his pant-leg over the bandage.

"Pretty nice having medical training." Tyreese commented as Nye cleaned a couple cuts on his arm.

"Well, I was a vet, it'll only get me so far. But Niagara on the other hand, was a nurse."

As soon as the new people all turned and stared at her like she was godsend, Nye scowled at Hershel.

"An OB nurse. I delivered babies."

And as if Nye had summoned them, Beth walked in, holding Judith.

Tyreese and Sasha immediately stood, watching Beth, or more accurately, Judith.

"How old is the baby?" Sasha asked in awe.

"Barely a week." Hershel answered.

Walking closer to get a better look, Sasha shook her head ruefully. "To be honest, we never thought we'd see another baby. Beautiful."

"Thanks."

Sasha looked on at Beth with concern. "How are you feeling?"

Beth's brows furrowed, until she got what the other woman had meant. "S-she's not mine."

Sasha gave her an apologetic look, before turning and looking at Nye in question.

Gaping for a second like a dying fish, Nye frantically shook her head. "Nope. Definitely not mine. No way."

"She's already got us." Mason said, sounding oddly possessive, while crossing his arms.

"Where's the mother?" Sasha asked, not wanting to assume for a third time.

After being met with a harsh silence, with Carl ducking his head, Sasha frowned sadly.

"I'm sorry."

Tyreese sighed. "Man, you people have been through the mill." He said, sounding truly sympathetic.

"Haven't we all?" Hershel replied, using his crutches to stand.

"It's only getting worse out there. Dead are everywhere. And it's only making the living less like the living."

Nye looked to the floor, knowing that that was probably the truest statement she'd heard in a while.

"You're the only decent folks we've come across." Sasha said darkly.

"You've been out there all this time?" Hershel asked them.

"Our neighbor Jerry, he was one of those survivalist nuts. Everybody on the block thought he was crazy. Always preparing for the end of the world." Tyreese nodded to himself, eyes haunted.

"Who knew?" Hershel offered.

"Jerry knew." Tyreese affirmed. "He had a bunker under his shed in the backyard. Sasha and I stayed there until we ran out of supplies."

Nye leaned against the wall, hand reaching up to her head, until she remembered she didn't have her goggles anymore. "That's how it is though, isn't it. Either you have supplies and no shelter, or shelter and no supplies. And if you're lucky enough to get 'em both, they don't last long."

Tyreese stared at Nye for a second, his eyes read that he knew exactly where she was coming from. "Allen and Ben were the first two people we ran into when we finally crawled up out of that hole around Jacksonville." Tyreese told them, looking down in grief. "Used to be a bunch of us. Twenty-five at one point."

"Our camp was overrun six, seven weeks ago." Sasha finished the story.

"And-and Donna, she, uh..." Tyreese trailed off, eyes going to the covered body in the corner.

"We'll see to it that she has a proper burial." Hershel spoke softly.

Tyreese gave him a look filled with gratitude. "I appreciate you taking care of us. For a while, we didn't know who we were dealing with."

"Neither did we. We've had our problems with people."

Tyreese scoffed in self-deprecation, looking around the gray room. "I must be the first brother in history to break into prison."

Axel walked forward, handing Tyreese a bowl of noodles. "Makes me the first white boy that didn't want to break out."

And despite the fact that everyone was currently acknowledge how fucked the world was now, Nye laughed softly at the banter.

"Tyreese." Hershel called as he and the rest started filing out of the room. "Like I said, we have a much larger group. A close-knit group... I wouldn't get too comfortable here."

"We wouldn't be a problem." Tyreese promised.

Hershel paused at the door. "It's not up to me."

"Then who?"

When Hershel didn't answer, Tyreese stepped closer. "Please, you can see what kind of people we are."

Hershel stepped through the door, and Carl turned the keys, locking it once more.

At the looks on their faces, Nye gave a pat to the bars. "I'll talk to him. Put a good word in."

Sighing through his nose, Tyreese gave her a tense smile. "Thank you."

Giving one last pat on the metal, Nye spun on her heels, walking away.

...

"They're back!"

At those two words, Nye was dropping her guitar, and racing out of her cell again.

Toby hopped down from his perch near one of the windows, running with Nye, and once Mason darted out of their cell, his brother too. All of them smiling to some degree as they spotted the green car pulling up.

Glenn, Maggie, and Michonne all came out of the car in varying levels of hurt. And Nye was able to spot Rick by the gate with Carl and Carol.

Hershel and Beth were on Maggie in an instant. Checking her over, and asking a dozen questions.

Nye and the boys stepped up to Glenn, and the brunette grimaced harshly at the beaten sight of her friend.

"Jesus..." She whispered, before gently pulling him into a hug.

The way he remained mostly slack in the embrace, and seemed almost unable to look her in the eye for more than a few seconds, was started to make her panic.

When Mason and Toby hugged him, he seemed to put more effort into hugging them back.

Taking one more look around, Nye frowned worriedly.

"Where's Daryl?"

Glenn stiffened, glaring down at the dirt, whereas Maggie whipped around, watching Glenn as if she was waiting and ready to stop something.

Farther down the courtyard, Rick caught sight of Nye and Glenn standing near each other. Wanting to do as much damage-control as possible, Rick started running.

Sniffing harshly in anger, Glenn pursed his lips, before looking up at her.

Maggie moved forward. "Gle-"

"We found Merle."

Mason and Toby stayed silent, watching their mother's reaction.

Blinking, Nye slowly nodded in understanding. "Oh, so Daryl and him are walking back. Taking time to catch up?"

Maggie's eyes closed, her head dropping down as she was unable to look at Nye.

Glenn outright scoffed, giving her a look that was the closest thing to pity he could handle. "No, Daryl-"

"Glenn!" Rick shouted in warning, barely able to hear what was going on as he almost reached them.

"Daryl went with Merle. He left."

Mason seemed to short-circuit, while Toby's breathing and heart-rate picked up.

But Nye...

"W-w-what?"

The tone of her voice, the way she sounded almost broken, made Glenn immediately soften.

"Nye-"

Rick finally reached them, Carl and Carol right on his tail. As soon as he saw the expressions on Nye and the kids' faces, he glared darkly at Glenn.

"Hey, hey." The former sheriff called, moving to stand in front of them. "Look, I-" Sighing through his nose, Rick rubbed his temple. "We couldn't let Merle in the prison. And Daryl wouldn't come back with us without him."

In his effort to explain and defuse the situation, he only made things worse.

Nye stiffened as she registered what he said, and her expression, as a result, could be described using the words 'hell-fire'.

"Wait. You're saying-You're saying you made him leave?!"

Glenn growled. "He's the one who took us! He's the reason-"

" _I don't care!_ "

Mason and Toby flinched at the raw, molten rage in her voice.

Glenn looked at her in betrayal, but before he could say anything, she was making her point.

"We live in a fucking prison! We could have locked him up!"

In an attempt to keep herself from doing something she would regret, Nye turned, walking a few yards away, before pulling out her monkey and started beating the ground with it.

It was a poor outlet for her rage, but it was the best she had.

 _He left. He left. He left. **Why do they always leave!?**_

Short, high pitched screams tore through her throat as she beat the dirt. Years of abandonment issues rising to the surface, fueling her anger.

She knew, somewhere in her mind that wasn't clouded, she knew she probably looked insane. But she truly didn't care.

Until Mason and Toby started calling for her.

"Mom, you need to calm down!"

"C'mon Mom, chill!"

Panting, and forcing her arms down, Nye straightened herself up.

"Let's go inside, okay?" Toby softly suggested, hesitantly taking her sleeve, pulling her in the direction of the cell-block.

Nodding robotically, she let the two of them drag her along. Both seemed to be handling the situation much better than she was.

As they walked past the small group, Tyreese and Sasha stared at her in concern, clearly having heard the screaming.

Everyone was already inside, and as she was brought in, they all watched her. Whether it was because they were worried about her, or they were just waiting for another meltdown.

Carol stepped up, taking her with a reassuring look sent to the two boys.

"Let's get you some water."

Sitting down while sipping some water gave Nye a moment to revaluate some things.

"He left."

Carol pursed her lips. "He did."

"He _chose_ to leave."

"It's not that simple-"

Nye shook her head, eyes becoming clearer. "He did. He chose. He was given an option, and he chose to leave m-us."

"Merle's his brother, Nye."

Eyes burning with anger for an entirely new reason, Nye bared her teeth down at the bottle of water in her hands.

"And we were his family."

Standing, Nye walked in the direction of her cell without a second glance to Carol.

"But I guess once a Dixon, always a Dixon, huh?"

"Nye-"

As she stomped her way up the stairs, drowning out Carol's voice, Nye ground her teeth in anger.

It was easier to be mad at him for leaving, than be sad he was gone.


	23. Bad dream

Running as fast as she could, her heart raced faster than what was probably safe for her. As she tried making it to the graves before anything else could happen, she nearly heaved at the sight of him.

Red, blooming across his shirt, as he laid in the grass, motionless. The sight of it was the thing of nightmares, but the way the gunshots sounded around her, the way she could taste blood in her mouth, and the way that his eyes locked onto hers, terrified, told her all she needed to know, to understand that this was reality.

" _Mom!_ "

...(13 hours earlier)...

Despite her promise to them, Nye didn't have the energy to plea the new group's case to Rick, before everyone was together to talk.

Being the stand-up guy he was, Tyreese stepped up first, tipping his head to Rick.

"I'm Tyreese."

When Rick remained silent, studying them, Hershel took the initiative. With his crutch he gestured to each respective person.

"Sasha, Allen, Ben."

The only thing keeping Nye in the room, was the white-knuckled grip both boys had on her hands. The anger in her veins had cooled slightly, but it was still simmering under the surface. And the boys knew that if she were alone, she would be breaking something, and raising her frustration again. So keeping her surrounded in friends and family was, at the moment, their best solution.

"How'd you get in?"

"Fire damage to the administrative part of the prison. Wall's down."

Rick gave Tyreese a doubtful look. "That side's completely overrun with walkers. How'd you get this far?"

"We didn't. We lost our friend, Donna." Tyreese said, jaw squared.

"They were lost in the tombs." Carl quietly told his father.

"You brought them here?" Their leader snapped.

"He had no choice." Hershel said on Carl's behalf.

Rick nodded slowly, seeming to be debating something with himself.

"I'm sorry about your friend. We know what that's like."

"Hershel said you could use some extra hands. We're no stranger to hard work. We'll go out and get our own food, stay out of your hair. You got a problem with another group, we'll help with that, too." Tyreese bargained, sounding almost too good to be true in Nye's opinion. "Anything to contribute."

Rick hooked his thumb on his belt, shifting his stance somewhat unsteadily, before shaking his head. "No."

" _Please._ " Sasha begged, already sounding defeated. "It's like 'Ten Little Indians' out there. It's just us now."

"No."

Grinding her teeth, Nye glared at the back of Rick's head. "We need people Rick."

"Let's talk about this." Hershel proposed, ever the peace-keeper. "We can't just keep-"

"We've been through this." Rick barked back, cutting the former vet off. "With Tomas, Harvey, Andrew. Look what happened."

"Axel and Oscar weren't like them." Carol offered.

"Yeah and where's Oscar now?" Rick snapped.

Somehow managing to slip out of her kids' hold, Nye marched closer to Rick. "With all do respect _your highness_ , this still may not be a democracy, but you're crazy if you think we're passing up this chance."

With narrowed eyes, Rick turned to her. "And what happens when they stab us in the back?"

"You haven't even held a full conversation with them! You don't know what kind of people they are!"

"I know enough!"

Smirking darkly, Nye cocked her head. "Yeah? You think you're such a great judge of character? Then tell me, who was your best friend again?"

A hush fell over the groups, while Rick and Nye both stared each other down.

Eyes boring into Nye's, Rick aimed his next words at Tyreese.

"I can't be responsible."

"You turn us out, you are responsible." Tyreese reasoned.

"Rick."

Finally tearing his eyes away from hers, their leader looked towards Hershel, who gestured for him to come closer.

Stepping to the side, Rick and Hershel talked lowly to one another.

"What was _that_?" Mason dully asked Nye as she stepped back.

Nye crossed her arms, leaning stiffly into the wall. "The straw that broke the camel's back."

While Toby nodded sagely, Mason stared at her as if she just said something outrageous, like declaring war against breakfast sandwiches.

"W-what does that even-"

"Why are you here?"

Everyone paused, watching as Rick walked away from Hershel, staring up at the catwalk.

"What-what do you want from me?"

With furrowed brows, Nye turned around, looking up at the catwalk, but finding no one there. Any anger she had towards Rick boiled down to concern as he practically trembled, staring up at something that wasn't there.

"Dad?"

"Why are you-No." Rick shook his head, rubbing his eyes. "I can't help you. Get out!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Tyreese said, putting his hands up in a calming gesture.

"Get-get out!"

"Hey, come on. Whoa, it's all good."

"What are you doing?"

Maggie took a step, putting a hand on Rick's arm. "Hey, easy, Rick. There's no need to-"

"You don't belong here! Get out! Please!"

Nye's eyes widened, as she hurriedly pulled both Mason and Toby behind her, watching in disbelief as Rick waved around his gun.

"Relax, brother. Relax." Tyreese called, stepping back.

"Get out! Get out!"

"We'll leave. We're going. Okay? Ain't nobody got to get shot here. We're going."

A lump formed in her throat the longer Rick stared up at the catwalk. Her hand settling on her gun holster without her realization.

"What are you doing here?!"

Everyone was keeping a fair distance from Rick at this point, and the new group had backed up all the way to the door.

"Okay, we're going."

"Just go! Go! Go!" Glenn urged them.

"Come on, come on." Tyreese corralled his people out the door, looking back over his shoulder, staring at everyone but Rick with pity.

As soon as they were gone, you could hear a pin drop. Everyone stared at Rick with varying degrees of worry. Though, Hershel to an extent, just looked disappointed.

When Rick stiffly walked to the door, those in the way immediately parted. All of them watching his back as he left.

Nye was only half aware of her gun, held tightly in her hand.

She didn't even remember pulling it out.

...

 _"What are you doing?"_

 _The apartment was dark, and quiet. The clocks all read 2:34 am. So Nye's soft voice sounded booming in the hush of the night._

 _Mason jolted, hand reeling away from where it had just been hovering over the knob of the front door._

 _His back remained turned to her, backpack blocking most of her view of him._

 _Nye walked farther into the living-room, sock clad feet barely making a sound. Instead of moving to pull him away from the door, like Mason expected, Nye simply sat down on the couch, watching him silently._

 _"I'm leaving."_

 _Mason scowled at the shaky quality of his voice._

 _Nye studied him, watching the way he shifted his weight on either foot, and how his shoulders would sporadically tense and relax. And after years of mastering the art of reading Shepherd, she found herself already catching on to Mason's tells._

 _"Why?"_

 _Mason blinked at the door for a second, before turning around to stare at her._

 _"Be...cause?"_

 _And again, she surprised him, by giving an amused smile._

 _"Do you want to sit down and tell me the real reason?"_

 _Mason nodded numbly, and took a seat next to her._ _Mouth dry at the way she seemed able to defuse the situation so easily with only a few calm words._

 _Leaning her back against the arm of the couch, Nye looked at him worriedly._

 _"It's only been a week. Am I really that bad at fostering?"_

 _Dumbfounded that she immediately jumped to the conclusion that the problem was her, Mason couldn't make himself speak._

 _At his silence, something she half expected, Nye gave him a tender look._

 _"Mason, can I make you a promise?"_

 _Lips pursed in confusion and curiosity, Mason hummed in affirmation._

 _Leaning forward, but refraining from touching him in any way, Nye gave him an understanding look._

 _"I won't leave you. I won't let you be alone, ever again."_

 _Mouth agape, Mason clenched the fabric of the couch in his hands. "H-how-"_

 _"Did I know that was the problem?"_

 _Mason nodded._

 _"Well, you've lost a lot of people, I know what that's like. And I know what it feels like to be left behind. It's my hope that this is your last foster home, but until then, I'll do my best to keep you company."_

 _Eyes burning, Mason let the backpack straps slip off of his shoulders. As he stared into her sincere green eyes, Mason found himself hoping what she said was true, that this really would be his last foster home. Because she was already proving to be the best foster mother he ever had._

 _Grinning in success, Nye stood and tipped her head to the kitchen._

 _"So, Ace. Wanna eat a whole pint of ice cream together?"_

 _Mason began to smile, until he caught on to the name._

 _"Ace?"_

 _Nye's smile dimmed slightly, edges now holding a soft sadness. Eyes swimming with memories only she could see._

 _"Yeah, someone once told me I was good at giving nicknames. But It's been awhile since I came up with one, what do you think?"_

 _At the hopeful look in her eyes, Mason already knew his answer. And besides, it wasn't like it was a lie._

 _"I love it."_

...

When morning came, Nye gathered as many of her knives that she could easily carry, having came up with a productive way to blow off steam.

Leaning a board of wood she found, up against the wall, Nye stepped back about fifteen feet. Holding one of her knives by the blade, Nye reeled her arm back, then shot it forward, flicking her wrist as she let go.

The knife hit the wood by its handle, making a dull 'thud' before falling to the dirt.

One after another, Nye threw her knives in an attempt to release some of her frustration, and train herself at the same time. Though, it really wasn't helping keep her calm.

After throwing her last knife, Nye grumbled and walked over to the board, picking up all her knives, and walking back to try again.

After almost an hour of no visible improvement, Nye's right arm was beginning to ache something fierce. And her anger towards _everything_ , hadn't really gotten any better either.

"Nye."

Looking to her right, Nye saw someone who looked kinda like Glenn.

Oh, it was Glenn.

The black-eye, and gore covered riot gear almost made him look like a different person. But the quiet thirst for revenge swimming in his eyes, was what really screamed "this is not Glenn".

Dropping her arm from its raised position, Nye eyed him up suspiciously.

"What do you want?"

"We're going on a run."

Blinking silently for a second, Nye turned back to the board in front of her. Lifting her arm, and throwing the knife.

"Mmm, pass."

Glenn glowered, shifting his stance. "I wasn't asking."

Freezing in her tracks, Nye internally asked herself if he really just said that.

The tense posture, and slightly uncertain look on his face told her that yes, he said that.

Breathing through her nose, Nye threw the next knife, satisfied when the blade finally touched the wood instead of the handle.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that, for the sake of our friendship. But," Nye turned, twirling her knife in hand. "If you ever talk to me like that again, we're going to have a problem."

Glenn hesitated, before nodding jerkily.

Another knife hit the wood, nowhere close to sticking, before falling down next to its brothers.

No more knives on her, Nye tucked her hands into her pockets. "My kids just went through thinking I was dead, again. You're not taking me anywhere." She explained.

With that, Glenn huffed and marched away, off to do God-knows-what.

Gathering her knives one last time, Nye walked back into the cell-block, inwardly wondering how Tyreese and his people were doing.

"How'd you get so good with a sword?"

"...A lot of practice. You do what it takes to survive."

Frowning in confusion, Nye turned the corner into the cell-block, spotting Michonne, Mason, and Toby sitting at one of the tables.

"How do you keep it sharp?" Toby eagerly asked, leaning forward.

"Rocks mostly. Running them across the blade."

Walking up from behind the woman, Nye eyed the scene, not able to find a real reason to intervene. But chose to anyway.

"What's going on?" Nye asked in the calmest voice she could get at the moment.

Michonne stiffened, having not seen Nye approach, while Mason and Toby perked up.

"Michonne said she popped her stitches." Mason told her.

While said woman stared Mason down in mock betrayal, Nye's brows came down in concern for the woman.

"I can fix that. I'll go get the kit."

Michonne straightened up. "You don't have to-"

"I know." Nye shrugged, disappearing into one of the cells, and almost immediately popping back out with the med-kit. "But I was a nurse, it's kinda my thing."

Carefully taking off the bandage, Nye eyed the wound through the whole Hershel had cut into her pants. Sure enough, two stitches had popped, and a slow trickle of blood was coming out.

Nye sucked a breath through her teeth at the sight of it. "Yeah, I can fix this, but it'll hurt like a bitch."

Crouching down next to her chair, Nye moved the fabric of her pants fully away, the tear in them was thankfully big enough that she didn't have to remove her pants all together. Rolling up her sleeves and slipping on some rubber gloves, Nye got to work.

In her daze of simply going through the motions, letting muscle-memory do most of the work, Nye completely blanked on the fact that Michonne was new. Therefore, had never seen her scars before.

Thankfully, she remained silent about them, just watching Nye with a totally new view.

"Hey boys."

Mason and Toby looked to their mother in question.

"Talk about dumb stuff."

While Mason and Michonne looked at her strangely, Toby caught on quick.

"Okay, uh... What's your favorite movie?"

Michonne looked between the three of them in bemusement, before her eyes landed back on Toby.

"I don't have one."

"What? Seriously?" Nye asked in faux outrage, never looking up from the other woman's leg. "That's ridiculous. Everyone has a favorite movie."

Mason nodded along. "Mine is The Goonies, Toby's is Toy Story, and Mom's is Fight Club."

"First rule of fight club is, you do not talk about fight club." Nye said under her breath.

"Mom's never let us watch it." Mason pouted.

"I would hope not." Michonne commented, not yet experiencing how corrupted the kids were. Especially Mason.

"There are some lines even I won't cross. Done."

Michonne jumped as Nye abruptly stood, whipping the gloves off and closing the kit.

Looking down, Michonne saw that her leg was already covered by a new bandage.

"I didn't even notice."

Nye grinned. "That was the point of making stupid conversation. Talking is a pretty good distraction."

Michonne hummed, standing carefully.

She then surprised Nye by nodding to her.

"Thank you."

Eyes widening, a light blush rose on Nye's cheeks as she stared back at the woman.

"Y-yeah, no problem."

While Nye watched her limp out of the cell-block, Mason and Toby watched _her_ in exasperated amusement.

"So, all someone needs to do to get in your pants is say "thank you", huh?"

Turning around and glaring at Mason, Nye's blush got darker.

"She's hot. Sue me."

Mason snickered, and Toby giggled, as Nye dropped the glare, smiling at them softly instead.

"I hope she sticks around." Toby commented between giggles.

Nye nodded, eyes staring off into space as her hand came up to her head.

When it only met air, then her hazel locks, Nye's mood dimmed, having once again forgot she no longer had her-

"Oh yeah, your goggles."

Nye stared back at Mason, brow quirking up. "Yeah... Did you seriously not realize they were gone?"

Shaking his head, causing his curls to bounce around his baseball cap, Mason smiled widely. "No, I know where they are."

Heart leaping hopefully, Nye stood. "Where are they?"

Hopping up from his chair, Mason nodded to the door of the cell-block. "Well, Daryl found them, and he hung them on your grave."

Mouth dropping open a hair, Nye looked down at the table, some of the anger she held for Daryl slipped between her fingers. "He... he really did that?"

Toby nodded, as Mason shifted his weight around.

"I'll go get 'em." Mason offered, already walking to the door.

"Ace, you don't have to, I'll go-"

"Don't worry, I got it." The curly haired twelve year old assured her.

Bolting outside before she could stop him, Mason ran to the now four graves, including Oscar's.

Sighing, though she felt the opposite of annoyed, Nye took Toby's hand. "C'mon, let's follow the doofus."

"He probably just wanted an excuse to stretch his legs and run around the courtyard." Toby suggested.

Nye hummed, tipping her head. "Maybe, or he might have-"

 **Bang!**

A cold and heavy weight hit the bottom of Nye's stomach.

Letting go of Toby's hand, and shouting for him to stay inside, Nye ran out into the courtyard.

The first thing she saw, was Axel's dead body laying on top of Carol. Then, as more gunshots sounded, she spotted Carl and Beth running behind the cover of a few benches, shooting back at the mystery shooters whenever possible.

As dirt exploded way too close to her feet, Nye dove away, hiding behind one of the cars.

Eyes frantically darting around, she tried spotting her eldest son.

When she finally saw him, her lungs stuttered.

He was just standing there.

 **He was just standing there.**

Ripping herself away from the car, and running out into the open probably looked like a death wish to somebody else, but Nye really couldn't care less if she got hit or not.

He was standing in the middle of the graves, right hand gripping the leather strap of her goggles, while he stared out the fence.

He was in shock.

The one thing that really split Mason and Shepherd's symptoms apart, was their fight or flight responses.

Shepherd, when faced with a threat, would always used to do anything and everything to fight it off. While Mason, if something scared him, he would stone-cold freeze, just like a deer in the headlights, until something urged him away. And him being a sitting duck was the last thing that could happen right now.

She was so close, and so far at the same time, when it happened.

In a moment that would haunt her sleep for the rest of her life, a shot rang out, somehow sounding more ominous than the others. And a second later, Mason reeled backwards, collapsing in on himself as he fell, landing on his back. Unmoving.

A scream suited for a wounded animal came out of her throat, as all she could do was watch Mason lay there while she ran.

" _Mason!_ "

Running as fast as she could, her heart raced faster than what was probably safe for her. As she tried making it to the graves before anything else could happen, she nearly heaved at the sight of him.

Red, blooming across his shirt, as he laid in the grass, motionless. The sight of it was the thing of nightmares, but the way the gunshots sounded around her, the way she could taste blood in her mouth, and the way that his eyes locked onto hers, terrified, told her all she needed to know, to understand that this was reality.

" _Mom!_ "

 _He's alive. He's alive. He's still alive._

Her knees hit the ground harshly, as she panted for breath and stared down at him in horror.

The left side of his shirt was rapidly turning red, a steady stream of blood staining the once solid blue fabric.

Gunshots were still firing, so Nye positioned herself over him, shielding him as she checked the damage.

Hands, shaking worse than she could ever remember them, she gently took the hem, and lifted it.

"M-Mom. H-h-hurts."

At Mason's cry, Nye had to hold her breath to avoid sobbing.

Letting the shirt go, unable to get a good look, Nye brushed the hair out of his face.

"I-I know, I k-know it h-hurts. B-but baby I-I need y-you to listen to m-me."

It only took a second before Mason was nodding frantically, looking up at her with unwavering trust.

Overwhelming pride for her kid crashed over her as he tried keeping a brave face. Taking a few breaths through her nose, letting them out through her mouth, Nye offered the saddest excuse for a smile ever.

"O-okay, I n-need to-to hold onto me, t-tight as you can, o-okay sweetheart?"

Again, he nodded. Nye tucked her right arm under his legs, and put her left behind his back.

Without needing instruction, Mason threw his right arm over her shoulder. Never letting go of the goggles.

The continuous sound of gunfire cut off, and Nye took advantage of the reprieve, shooting to her feet, and running back to the cell-block.

With every step, Mason whimpered, and with every glance down at him, Nye choked on a sob.

Behind her, she could hear the sound of a roaring engine. And not long after that, she heard the fence-gate coming down.

"H-holy sh-shit." Mason wheezed, staring at the carnage over her shoulder.

"What's happenin'?" Nye asked between pants, the stress of the situation bringing out her southern accent.

"W-Walkers. They l-let in Walkers."

Too preoccupied with all her other emotions, Nye couldn't even say she was surprised.

As soon as the Walkers were let in, the gunfire came back.

Forcing herself into a full-stop, Nye backtracked as a line of bullets kicked up the dirt in front of her. Ducking behind Pumpkin wasn't very subtle, but she was the closest cover.

Hearing bullet after bullet riddling her once most prized possession, Nye tipped her head back, sending a silent "thank you" to the van, for keeping them momentarily safe. In her adrenaline addled mind, Nye almost felt like Pumpkin was happy to lend her service, just so long as she could do her part to protect them.

"How y-you doin' honey?"

Mason could only grunt in response.

Nodding more to herself, than to him, Nye murmured to herself.

"Okay, okay... keep holding on."

"W-what are you gonna-"

Not giving him any time to finish, Nye ran out from their cover, making a B-line for the cell-block. Again, the dirt exploded around her, but she didn't give a fuck about getting shot, she just needed to get Mason inside. If she got fatally wounded, than they would still have Hershel to patch him up.

Right as she was making the final sprint to the door, the gunfire stopped once again. Leaving the only noise to be the moans and groans of the Walkers that now filled the courtyard.

Nye and Mason were the first ones into the cell-block, and Toby holding Judith was what greeted them.

Nye watched as the color drained from Toby's face.

Putting Mason down on one of the tables as gently as possible, Nye looked between the two as she walked backwards out of the cell-block.

"I'm getting Hershel, don't move!"

Getting a stunned nod from Toby, and another grunt from Mason, Nye ran out the door.

Thankfully, he was easy to spot. As Glenn and Maggie were helping him out of their pickup truck.

"Hershel!"

Everyone in hearing distance looked up, immediately catching sight of the blood on Nye hands and shirt.

"I need help! It's Mason!"

While Beth grabbed the crutches, Glenn and Maggie all but carried the vet into the prison.

"How bad?" He asked, getting straight to business.

"I-I-I don't-"

"I got shot!" Mason bellowed from inside the cell-block.

At this point, everyone was running back into the prison. But Nye didn't even notice the two familiar additions.

Hershel saddled himself up to Mason's side right, looking at all the blood forlornly.

Nye, on his other side, carefully lifted up his shirt. Able to get a better look this time, now that there wasn't the constant gunfire hanging over her head.

What she and Hershel saw was oozing blood, and jagged skin.

But... no bullet hole. Because it was-

"A graze..." Nye breathed, staring down at the torn skin on the very edge of his side.

"W-what?"

Smiling in relief, Hershel patted Mason's shoulder. "It's just a graze. You're going to be fine."

Mason blinked owlishly, as if someone just told him that the apocalypse has just been a big bad dream.

"I'm... I'm okay?"

Nye laughed tearily, dropping her head down, resting it on his chest and listening to his heartbeat.

"You're okay. You're okay. You're okay..."

Hershel stepped aside so Toby could hold onto Mason too.

"We still need to stitch it up though." Hershel said, sorry to break up the moment.

Feeling Mason tense, Nye rubbed his shoulder.

"I know you hate needles, but we have to do this."

Mason pursed his lips.

"If it helps, I'll do it." She offered.

Looking up at the group, she sniffled, rubbing her nose with the back of her wrist. "Can someone get the med-kit?"

"I got it."

Nye froze.

How she didn't notice him before, she had no idea. But she watched in stunned silence as _Daryl_ split off from _Merle_ , to get the kit.

A raging war of relief, joy, and warmth, fought with betrayal, anger, and nausea.

When he brought it to her, Nye took it swiftly, looking anywhere but at him.

By this point, Glenn was making a fuss about Merle's presence. While Hershel was trying to keep the peace, Rick was arguing Merle into a cell.

She had forgotten how grating the older Dixon's voice was.

After trying and failing to thread the suture needle three times, her shaking hands slammed down on the table.

Everyone was yelling, and it wasn't solving anything. All it had achieved was making Nye's hands shake harder, and make her heart squim uncomfortably in her chest. So, taking a deep breath, she let them know she had had enough.

"Everybody shut the fuck up!"

Miraculously, the cell-block fell silent.

Not looking up from the rag she held against Mason's wound, Nye's voice cracked as she couldn't hold onto all of the hysteria brimming inside her.

"My son just got shot! I don't give a flying fuck what you decide to do later, but for right now, just shut it! Merle get in the goddamn cell!"

Sniffling, and flushing as a result of crying in front of everyone, Nye's voice wobbled on the last word.

" _Please._ "

After a couple seconds, Merle grumbled about something or other, but even Nye could hear how forced it was. Then, there was a resounding metal 'clang', as Rick shut and locked the cell door behind the older Dixon.

Sighing in, not quite relief, (because she seriously doubted she was capable of that at the moment) but something close to it, Nye picked back up the needle, successfully threading it this time.

Now came the hard part.

"Toby, sweets, can you help keep him distracted?" She hesitantly asked, lifting the blooded rag.

Nodding without a second thought, Toby reached for his brother's right hand. Holding it tightly.

Forcing her breathing to even out, Nye slipped off her belt, folding it, and slowly handing it to Mason.

"Wha's this for?"

Looking up into his eyes, Nye shifted her stance uncomfortably.

"...To bite down on."

Waiting a beat, Mason grunted.

"Great."

When the belt was firmly between his teeth, and the site was clear, there was nothing else she could use to stall. But never, in only her worst nightmares, would Nye have thought she would ever have to hurt one of her kids. And stitches without any numbing agent was going to be hell.

When the first went through, all Mason did was tense riggedly, and Nye had a feeling the adrenaline had something to do with that.

Stitch after stitch, he would get worse and worse. After the fifth one, he couldn't hold back the whimper, or tears in his eyes.

Nye felt like vomitting.

Toby was continuously talking about nonsense, helping keep his brother's mind off of what was happening.

Several times, Nye had to quickly rub her cheeks and nose on her shoulder, tears threatening to land on the wound. Each time, they were almost immediately replaced by new ones.

In the future she would be told that at some point, she had began to whisper "I'm sorry." over and over.

When the final stitch went through, it was like a weight had been lifted. Mason's arm shot up, rubbing his cheeks dry with his sleeve. Toby did nothing to hide his stuffy nose and wet cheeks. And Nye was too busy to even notice how wrecked she looked.

A bandage was gently put over the graze, and as it was covered, Nye could pretend it was all just a bad dream.

Taking the belt out of his mouth, Mason rolled his jaw, and blinked tiredly.

"'m I gonna live?"

Having to clear her throat before answering, Nye smiled dimly. "You're gonna be fine."

Arms raised in the air, Mason tipped his head back. "Whoop."

The deadpan cheer was so in character, that it comforted her a bit to know he felt well enough to joke.

And as everything settled, it was like she became ultra aware.

Aware of how things could have gone wrong. Aware of all the blood. Aware of the pain she just put him through.

And as her throat began to close up, Nye knew she needed to get out. Now.

"Y-your shirt's a lost cause, I'm gonna go get you a new one, okay?"

Too tired to pick up on the distress in her voice, Mason nodded limply with his eyes closed.

"We'll get him in bed." Glenn told her, sounding softer than he had in a long time.

Not wasting time she didn't have, Nye walked out, trying to appear like she wasn't ripping at the seams. The second she was out of eye-sight though, she was sprinting to the laundry room.

She didn't notice the person following behind.

Bursting into the room, Nye tried to fight off the the panic attack starting up. But as she stumbled into the room, her ankles crossed, sending her to her knees.

Dropping onto her elbows as well, Nye stared down at the floor and choked on each breath.

"Nye!"

There was a hand on her back now, and a shadow next to hers. And slowly, using the hand to help ground herself, Nye started one of her breathing techniques.

In through the nose, out through the mouth, rinse, repeat.

For a long time, all she did was breath, while the hand remained sturdy on her back. It was comforting. Until she looked over her shoulder.

In an instant, she slapped the hand away, shooting to her feet.

He stood, and she stared. Asking herself if the universe really had it out for her _this_ badly. Was it too much to ask for some peace, for _five minutes_.

Daryl stared back at her, clearly becoming uncomfortable the longer she glared.

 _Good. Be uncomfortable. Suck my metaphorical dick._

Being the grudge holding champion she was, Nye only glowered heavier at his silence.

"We just gonna stand here? That seems productive." She snipped.

"Nye-"

Snarling at the floor, Nye turned and marched to one of their clothes baskets. "Don't. If there ever was a time for me to do something violent, it's right now."

"Nye, you-"

Fighting the urge to punch the wall, Nye spun back around. " _No_. I know you. I know what you're trying to do Dixon."

Outright flinching at the name, Daryl bit his lip. 'Dixon' was something she hadn't called him since the farm. And she was morbidly happy it hurt him to some degree.

Nye made sure to speak up again before he could even try to talk.

"I _know_ you're trying to get me to yell at you, to go ape-shit and lash out. Because of that stupid guilt complex of yours. You _want_ me to be pissed." Fists clenching two articles of clothing, Nye took a step foward. "But it's not going to work. You know why? Because I'm not mad."

That threw him. Obviously, because he knew what Nye looked like when she was angry, and this was it.

Grinning at him in a way that made her look like she was straight out of Alice In Wonderland, Nye spread her arms in a carefree gesture. "No, I'm not mad. Or pissed, or disappointed, or _hurt_." Her grin became strained. "I'm not hurt. Hurt that you left. Like everyone always does. Like my Mom. My Grandmother. Or my baby brother."

Putting a shirt clenched fist up to her head, Nye openly cried with a sort of deranged smile on her face as she let everything out. "Everyone leaves. Everyone. I know Mason and Toby will too, so what's even the fucking point of being upset?!"

Her arm dropped to her side, hiccups racking her chest. "A-and the worst, is when they _choose_ to go. When they _choose_ to leave you behind. So, no Dixon." She shrugged. "I'm not mad. I'm just used to it."

Before he could even come up with a syllable to say, Nye brushed past him.

And he was... desperate. He was desperate to get her to understand, because try as he might, Nye had managed to latch onto a part of him he didn't even know he had. He was desperate, so desperate, that he-

"You'd have done the same if it was your brother."

-Made a serious mistake.

He watched, as every square inch of her body tensed, then rippled. She was trembling, and he didn't think it was because she was crying.

When she turned back around, he saw he was right. He wished he wasn't.

Trembling, and filled with unbridled...She didn't even think there was a _word_ for how furious she was, Nye seethed.

"That's different."

And because God-knows he was riled up too, he just had to push.

"How?"

Honestly shocked he went for it, Nye narrowed her eyes, causing several more tears to fall. Marching up to him, she answered brutally.

"Because my brother was beat to death when he was sixteen! And I wasn't there for him!"

As the color faded from Daryl's face, regret already clear as day in his eyes, Nye slammed her hands into his chest.

"You jackass!"

Daryl watched her bottom lip tremble, and a second later, she was gone.

Swallowing back the ocean of guilt threatening to drown him, Daryl glanced down.

When she had pushed him, she had let go of one of the shirts she was carrying.

Holding it up, and seeing who's it was, Daryl's guilt doubled.

It was one of his. She had noticed his shirt was ripped. And even in the midst of their worst fight to date, she grabbed him a new one.

To say he felt terrible would be the understatement of a lifetime.

...

As she stomped to her kids' cell, Nye was surprised by yet another Dixon. This time, it wasn't nearly as devastating to her mentality as the last one. In fact, it was rather nice.

"The kid okay?"

She could tell that, by the forced, overly uncaring tone, that he truly was concerned, but just didn't want to show it.

Sniffling, Nye bobbed her head a few times, reminding herself that Merle wasn't the Dixon she was mad at. "Yeah, he'll be okay. What about you?"

The question surprised them both, but she wasn't about to take it back.

Merle shrugged nonchalantly, leaning against the wall. "Been better. Been worse."

Surprising _herself_ , Nye smiled dimly. "Amen."

As Nye went to leave, assuming their short and pleasantly civil conversation was over, Merle sat up, eyeing her.

"You know, I was surprised when Darlina wouldn't shut up 'bout you."

Nye's feet slowed to a stop, and she wringed the shirt in her hands. "What?"

"Well, you an' the two squirts. But point is, last I was aware, you hated my brother's guts."

Her lips parted, then slowly closed once more.

"Not to mention, you were Ch-Glenn's trump card to get 'im to stay."

Unsure of what to say, or do really, Nye's shoulders slumped. "But... he didn't."

Merle shrugged. "I'm his blood."

"You're also an asshole."

Letting that slide, Merle nodded to the cells. "Don't you got a kid to take care of?"

Pursing her lips into a tight, but faintly genuine smile, Nye gave a mock salute, and went on her way.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Merle sighed on behalf of Daryl.

"You ain't got a chance, baby brother."

* * *

 **Yep, not even my OCs are safe. This is supposed to be TWD after all. Sorry Mason. And sorry in advanced to Nye and Toby, shit's coming your way :)**


	24. Remain the same

**Just watched a few random episodes, and... Man, fuck the recent Walking Dead. That's all I'm gonna say about that.**

 **To reassure anyone who's in the same boat, season seven is roughly the time I'll be veering off canon. Not too much, but I'mma save so many characters y'all, like you don't even know. Scott Gimple ran the show into the ground, and I shall dig its potential back up.**

 **...Sorry if that sounded pompous.**

 **P.S, FUCK YOU WHISPERER ARC. THE ONLY GOOD THING ABOUT YOU IS MY BABY LYDIA, DARYL/CONNIE, JUDITH, AND DOG.**

 **..I'm done now. Sorry. And it's cool if you like the Whisperer War, your opinion is valid, so, yeah...**

* * *

The dust had settled, and the arguing began once again.

"We should pack up, get out of here." Hershel pitched for the dozenth time.

"We're not leaving." Rick said tiredly.

"We can't stay here." Hershel fired back, sounding desperate.

Nye swallowed harshly, standing up on the catwalk, halfway leaning into Mason and Toby's cell. Toby was packing up his and his brother's things, as pur Nye's request. While Mason laid on the bottom bunk, boredly tossing a rubber ball between his hands.

Daryl was pacing the catwalk, and anytime he passed her, he would look over at her and the kids, checking them over.

Nye would have thought the concern was sweet, if she let herself.

"What if there's another sniper? A wood pallet won't stop one of those rounds." Maggie grimly suggested, gearing up along with everyone else.

"We can't even go outside." Beth scoffed.

Carol shrugged faintly. "Not in the daylight."

"Rick says we're not running, we're not running." Glenn said forcefully.

"No, better to live like rats." Merle commented from his locked cell.

"Well, than do you have any ideas? Oh Wise-One." Nye snarked from above.

Merle stood straighter. "Yeah, we should have slid out of here last night, and lived to fight another day. But we lost that window, didn't we? I'm sure he's got scouts on every road out of this place by now."

"We ain't scared of that prick." Daryl growled.

"Y'all should be." His brother bit back. "That truck through the fence thing, that's just him ringin' the doorbell. We might have some thick walls to hide behind, but he's got the guns and the numbers. And if he takes the high ground around this place," Merle scoffed. "Shoot, he could just starve us out if he wanted to."

"So what? We're screwed and there's nothing we can do?" Nye asked darkly.

Merle nodded up to her, staring Rick in the eyes. "Shorty gets it."

"Let's put him in the other cell-block." Maggie suggested.

Daryl shook his head, leaning on the catwalk railing. "No. He's got a point."

Maggie turned to Merle sharply. "This is all you! You started this!"

"What difference whose fault it is? What do we do?" Beth asked, walking down the stairs.

"I said we should leave. Now Axel's dead. We _can't_ just sit here." Hershel said sternly.

Rick didn't say anything, and started to walk towards the door, intending to leave them all without an answer.

Standing up using his crutches, Hershel snapped.

"Get back here!"

Nye flinched, watching Hershel in wary shock.

Rick stopped, and Hershel glared into the back of his head. "You're slipping, Rick. We've all seen it. We understand why. But now is not the time. You once said this isn't a democracy. Now you have to own up to that. I put my family's life in your hands." Hershel's voice shook with the severity of things. "So get your head clear and do something."

Glancing at them over his shoulder, Rick gave a jerky nod, before walking out the door.

Pursing her lips, Nye looked back into her kids' cell.

"Keep packing."

...

"Take watch. Eyes open, head down." Rick ordered Maggie. Who took his offered rifle. "Field's filled with Walkers."

She nodded wordlessly, walking away.

Daryl, Nye, Hershel, Michonne, and Glenn stood in a semi-circle as Rick approached.

"I didn't see any snipers out there, but we'll keep Maggie on watch."

"I'll get up in the guard tower, take out half them Walkers, give these guys a chance to fix the fence." Daryl offered.

"And how do you plan to get in the tower without getting bit?" Nye asked heatedly, speaking to him for the first time since their argument.

"We could use some of the cars to put the bus in place." Michonne spoke up before Daryl could.

"We can't access the field without burning through our bullets." Hershel pointed out.

"So we're trapped in here. There's barely any food or ammo." Glenn said angrily.

"Been here before. We'll be alright." Daryl reasoned, and Nye found herself instinctively nodding along.

"That's when it was just us. Before there was a snake in the nest." Glenn argued.

Nye sighed through her nose, watching Daryl step up to him.

"Man, we gonna go through this again? Look, Merle's stayin' here. He's with us now. Get used to it."

"It's pointless to whine about it. So just drop it." Nye said, holding onto her goggles tightly in her hands, returned to her by Mason.

Glenn stared at her harshly. "You're on his side?"

Standing from her position sitting on the stairs, Nye looked down at him tiredly. "No, I'm just trying to set my feelings aside, and be mature about this."

"Glenn scoffed incredulously. "Since when are you matu-"

"Hey." Rick cut him off.

But the damage was done. Nye shook her head, staring down at Glenn dimly, like she didn't even recognize him anymore. Turning on her heel, she marched up the stairs and to her cell.

Giving one last angered look towards Glenn, Daryl went after her.

"Hey."

She kept walking, as if he hadn't spoken.

He sighed. "Nye-"

"Not talking to you. Drop it."

Turning to her cell, she walked in, sliding the barred door shut with finality.

Standing in the middle of the catwalk, Daryl hesitated pushing things any further.

Thankfully, Toby intervened.

Walking out of their cell, Toby paused when he saw Daryl. Following the hunter's line of sight, Toby nodded sagely.

"Ah, I get it. Follow me."

With furrowed brows, Daryl decided to do as the eleven year old said.

Coming to a stop halfway down the stairs, Toby gestured for Daryl to sit with him.

When the two were seated, out of ear-shot of Nye's cell, Toby turned to him.

"You're worried about her not talking to you, right?"

Thrown for a second by the kid's accurate guess, he nodded. "Yeah."

Toby hummed, looking entirely unconcerned. "It's a good sign if she's not talking to you."

Before he could comment, Toby cut Daryl off.

"Nye's either a great grudge holder, or a terrible one. If it's a grudge that's going to last, she won't hold back from snapping at you, all the time. But, when she's not talking to you, it means she's afraid the anger and stuff will slip, and she'll forgive you too soon. So if she's avoiding you, it's a good thing. I give her silent treatment a week, tops."

Standing from the stairs, Toby smiled. "She's mad, but she'll forgive you."

Standing as well, Daryl nodded to him, ruffling, and knocking his hat askew. "Thanks Smalls."

Toby's eyes widened, as he watched the archer walk away. Reaching up and fixing his hat, Toby grinned.

"Mason's gonna be so jealous."

Back in her cell, Nye paced as well as she could in the small space. She had yet to put on her goggles, instead staring at them darkly, partially blaming them for Mason's injury. Coming to a stand-still, Nye bit the bullet and slowly put them on, unable to deny the small amount of comfort it brought.

Her door slid open, and when Nye looked over, she saw Carl, red-faced and panting.

"M-Maggie to-old me to g-get-"

"Whoa, breathe kiddo." Nye urged, putting a hand on his shoulder.

After taking a couple deep breaths, Carl looked up at her.

"Andrea's here. You need to come with me."

Nye's face fell, as she reached up and pulled on the back of her goggles' leather strap.

"Shit."

Running down the stairs, Nye and Carl joined the others in grabbing their weapons.

When Toby reached for one, Nye shot her hand down over the gun.

"No, you need to watch Mason."

Toby's mouth opened, ready to argue. But he found himself falling silent, understanding Nye's want for him to stay inside, where it was marginally more safe.

Rick, Daryl, Merle, Nye, Michonne, and Beth raced outside, guns raised and ready.

Sure enough, there was Andrea. Holding onto a Walker using an animal control pole. Its arms were cut off, and its mouth looked like it had been curb-stomped, relieving it of its teeth.

The Walkers around Andrea perked up, finally catching on that something was amiss. As her single Walker wasn't enough camouflage.

Andrea whipped her head around, taking count of all the Walkers approaching. Staring pleadingly at Rick through the fence, Andrea silently begged for them to let her in.

"Are you alone?" Rick demanded as they all ran for the fence gate.

"Open the gate." Andrea shot back breathlessly, as she struggled to keep control of her Walker.

"Are you alone?!" Rick shouted lowly.

More Walkers were turning on Andrea now, surrounding her.

"Rick!" She begged, voice high and tight.

Rick finally conceded, and tossed Daryl the keys. "Open it."

As soon as it was open, Andrea dropped the pole, slipping through. But the relief on her face quickly evaporated, as Rick turned her around, slamming her front against the fence.

"Hands up! Turn around."

"W-what?"

"Turn around now!"

A Walker lunged at the area of the fence that Andrea was pressed against. Rick reluctantly pulled her away, forcing her on her knees instead.

"All right. Get down, on the floor."

Andrea's arms spun around as she tried catching her balance, looking baffled at her treatment.

 _That's rich._

"I asked if you were alone." Rick barked, patting her down.

"I am." Andrea replied, panting for breath.

After not finding anything on her, Rick took her bag, tossing it a safe distance away.

"Welcome back." Their leader said sarcastically, grabbing her arm. "Get up."

The short walk into the prison was tense, as Andrea stared at each of them, genuinely confused as to why she wasn't getting a warmer welcome.

Almost everyone was already gathered right outside the door, watching Andrea with varying degrees of countless emotions.

Daryl sat down atop one of the metal tables, and after a moment of hesitation, Nye sat down on it as well.

Carol was the first to approach, hugging Andrea.

Everyone sat back, allowing the blonde to have this moment, before the questioning started.

As she watched the reunion, Nye couldn't feel anything but apathy. The blonde was, or about to be, too far gone in her eyes.

Slowly separating from Carol, Andrea looked around, taking in everyone's appearances. Her eyes almost immediately zeroed in on Hershel.

Hand coming up over her mouth, Andrea took a step forward, eyes on his leg, or lack thereof. "Hershel, my God..."

Footsteps brought attention to the stairs, where Glenn and Toby were helping Mason come down.

Nye shot up. "What are you doing? You should be resting."

Mason slowly sat on the forth step, wincing and hovering his hand over the covered graze. "Wanted to see Andrea."

Said blonde was watching the kid in concern, eyeing the part of his shirt that was made bulkier by the bandages underneath.

Taking a quick sweep around, Andrea's shoulders drooped. "I can't believe this." With a small shake of her head, Andrea looked to Rick. "Where's Shane?"

Rick clenched his jaw, shaking his head.

Andrea huffed a small breath, hit with grief at the new information. "And Lori?"

Rick simply ducked his head this time, unable to say a word.

"...She had a girl. Lori didn't survive." Hershel said quietly.

"T's gone too." Nye whispered, eyes down on her hands.

Andrea looked around in disbelief, stammering. "I-I'm so sorry."

Taking a look at the sheriff's son, the blonde bit her lip. " _Carl_." She said woefully, not even aware of how involved the kid had been in his mother's death.

Tears in her eyes, Andrea stepped towards the leader. "Rick, I-"

She trailed off as Rick looked anywhere but at her. Unnerved by the silence, Andrea tried to change the subject

"You all live here?"

Glenn took pity on her. "Here and the cell-block."

Andrea pointed to the barred door. "There? Well, can I go in?"

Rick sidestepped in her way. "I won't allow that."

Andrea stared back at him, chuckling uncomfortably. "I'm not an enemy, Rick."

Rick squared his jaw. "We had that field and courtyard until your boyfriend tore down the fence with a truck and shot us up."

Andrea blinked, opening and closing her mouth silently for a moment. "H-he said you fired first."

"Well, he's lying." Rick growled.

"He killed an inmate who survived in here." Hershel spoke.

Daryl nodded along. "We liked him. He was one of us."

Not for the first time, Nye felt bad for Axel and Oscar, and the shit hands they had been dealt.

"I didn't know anything about that." Andrea said quietly, hand up to her neck. "As soon as I found out, I came. I didn't even know you were in Woodbury until _after_ the shoot-out."

"That was days ago." Glenn spat out.

"I told you, I came as soon as I could." Andrea reaffirmed, upset by the cold reception she was receiving.

Turning to Michonne, Andrea furrowed her brows. "What have you told them?"

"Nothing." Michonne said chirpily.

Andrea sputtered indignantly. "I don't get it. I left Atlanta with you people and now I'm the odd man out?"

"He almost killed Michonne, and he shot Mason. He would have killed us." Glenn snapped at her.

Andrea pointed to Merle. "With his finger on the trigger-" Her arm, as well as her face, fell, as she registered what Glenn said.

"H-he _what_?"

Nye stood, walking towards Andrea, with a cold look in her eyes. "Your fuck-buddy shot at my son. You're lucky it was a graze, otherwise you wouldn't have made it through the fence."

Nye kept walking, taking a seat on the stairs next to Mason and Toby.

Andrea gaped slightly, before she shook her head, gesturing back at Merle, trying to regain control. "B-but isn't he the one who kidnapped you? Who beat you?"

Nye scoffed. "Yeah, and somehow, I trust him more than I trust you."

Merle faintly grinned in the background.

Andrea pursed her lips, looking around at everyone searchingly. "Look, I cannot excuse or explain what Philip has done. But I am here trying to bring us together. We have to work this out."

"There's nothing to work out. We're gonna kill him. I don't know how or when, but we will." Rick told her.

"We can settle this. There is room at Woodbury for _all_ of you." Andrea said desperately.

Merle chuckled lowly. "You know better than that."

"What makes you think this man wants to negotiate?" Hershel asked her. "Did he say that?"

"...No."

"Then why did you come here?" Rick questioned.

"Because he's gearing up for war." Andrea warned them, sounding like she was teetering over the edge. "The people are terrified. They see you as killers. They're training to attack."

Daryl stared her down. "I'll tell you what. Next time you see _Philip_ , you tell him I'm gonna take his other eye."

A shiver ran through Nye at the husky and threatening tone of the hunter's voice. Causing her to look down in bewilderment.

 _I'm not scared of him. So why did I just-_

"We've taken too much shit for too long." Glenn said angrily, breaking the brunette out of her thoughts. "He wants a war? He's got one."

Seeing that Glenn, the usually calm and rational one, was a lost cause, Andrea turned to the leader. "Rick. If you don't sit down and try to work this out, I don't know what's gonna happen. He has a _whole town_."

Rick gave no response, so she turned to the rest of them. "Look at you. You've lost so much already. You can't stand alone anymore."

Nye leaned back, looking completely unfazed by Andrea's plea. "Wow, really pulling on the heartstrings there, aren'tcha?"

Andrea opened her mouth to snap something back, but Rick brushed past her.

"You want to make this right, get us inside."

"No." The blonde shot him down.

Rick kept walking, entering the cell-block. "Then we got nothing to talk about."

"There are innocent people!"

Rick kept walking, slamming the door behind him.

...

As Andrea was prepping to leave, Mason was taken back up to his cell. The whole time he limped up the stairs, Andrea watched, guilt rolling off her in waves.

When Nye stepped out of his cell, she gave Mason a quiet order to _stay in bed_ , and to _rest_. He gave her a sarcastic thumbs up in return.

"You can't leave without meeting Little Ass-Kicker."

Nye turned around, catching sight of Carol holding Judith, while Andrea stared down at the infant adoringly.

"May I hold her?"

"Of course." Carol instantly replied.

Nye slowly approached, leaning on the railing next to Carol.

"Got her?"

"I got her."

Andrea cradled Judith gently, smiling at her with the softest expression Nye had ever seen on the blonde's face. "Oh, look at you."

Looking up, Andrea smiled hesitantly at Nye, as if testing the waters. "Let me guess. You named her 'Ass-Kicker'."

Nye paused, before smirking faintly, watching the baby grab for Andrea's hair. "Nah, it was Daryl. Mine was 'Baby-Grimes'."

Andrea snorted, looking back down. "That's not really her name?"

Carol shook her head. "Judith."

"Judith." Andrea repeated softly.

The blonde gasped in the way people do before they talk to a baby. "Hi, Judith. Oh, how precious are you?"

"Too precious. She's gonna be the most spoiled kid in the apocalypse." Nye joked, tipping her head to the side.

Andrea hummed, before slowly looking up at the two. "What happened to Lori?"

Nye ducked her head, while Carol answered.

"During a C-section. Maggie. Carl had to-"

"Oh, my God." Andrea breathed, turning to Nye. "Where were you?"

It wasn't asked with malice, or was even in an accusatory tone, but Nye still flinched anyway.

"Walkers got in, me and T got separated from everyone... T died protecting me, and by the time I got back... It was too late."

Andrea sighed, looking Nye over as the brunette's eyes had started to water.

"...And Shane?"

Carol didn't hesitate. "Rick killed him."

Andrea's eyes widened, and her arm instinctively tightened around Judith.

"The night we left the farm. That whole Randall thing was a lie. Shane tried to kill Rick."

Andrea's brows lowered in disbelief. "Shane loved Rick."

"Shane loved Lori." Carol countered.

Andrea nodded halfheartedly, staring off into space as she rocked Judith. "Rick's become cold. Unsteady."

"He has his reasons." Carol defended him, feeling completely different from how she had felt towards their leader at the beginning of winter.

"You don't go through the shit Rick's gone through, and remain the same." Nye muttered.

Andrea paused, looking at Nye contemplatively. "You know, your vocabulary's the same, but something about you seems... more mature. Maternal too."

She chose to ignore the memory of the blonde calling her a "glorified baby-sitter", not wanting to put a stop to the civility of the conversation.

Shrugging uncomfortably, taking it as praise, Nye hopped up and sat on the railing, balancing herself precariously on it. "...Cool."

Carol broke the lighthearted atmosphere. "The Governor, you need to do something."

Andrea scoffed, handing Carol back Judith. "I am."

Carol shook her head, holding Judith out to Nye. Who immediately hopped back down and took the baby.

"No, you need to sleep with him."

Both Nye and Andrea froze in shock.

"Give him the greatest night of his life. You get him to drop his guard. Then when he's sleeping, you can end this."

While Andrea gaped at Carol's ruthlessness, Nye leaned back, bouncing Judith.

"Okay, not the conversation to have with Judy present."

The two older women ignored her, staring each other down, willing the other to see their way.

"Andrea." Glenn called from below.

The blonde jumped, before sagging slightly.

"I take that as my queue."

Everyone went outside to say goodbye, minus Mason, who shouted it from outside his cell. Andrea was handed back her things as they stood outside. Glenn pulled up in one of the prison's smaller transport vehicles.

He got out, leaving the door open for Andrea.

"Can you spare it?"

Rick hooked his thumb on his belt, nodding. "Yeah."

Andrea looked around at the group one final time, getting nods from a few. With a sigh, she smiled unconvincingly.

"Well, take care."

No one said anything as she got in the driver's seat, throwing her bag into the passenger's. When she put her hands on the wheel, was when Rick spoke up.

"Andrea."

Looking up at him from the open window, Andrea was shocked when he handed her a switchblade, and a pistol.

"Be careful." He said, letting it show that despite the circumstances, he still cared about her well-being.

Andrea smiled, giving him a touched look. "You, too."

As she drove, Merle opened the gate, letting her through. Everyone stayed outside until none of them could see her tail-lights anymore.

One by one, people meandered back into the prison. The last ones left behind, were Nye and Daryl. The latter having stayed, as the former didn't move an inch.

Knowing it was a long-shot, Daryl nudged her arm with his elbow.

"You good?"

Nye stared out to the yard, asking herself if that was going to be the last time she would ever see Andrea. Then that thought started spiraling.

She realized, that any moment could be her last with someone. While she already knew the mortality rate for the new world was astronomical, and her own heart was a ticking time-bomb, the recent events had really shined a light on how easy it was to lose someone now. How easy it was for your last words given to someone, could be hurtful, angry, and all together hateful.

Nye stared straight out the fence, fighting off any and all urges to make up with the redneck. She instead went with something that hopefully wouldn't give him the impression she had already forgiven him. Not quite yet.

She honestly gave it another day, tops. So she might as well hold out until then.

"I'm glad you're back."

Spinning around, and marching away before she could get a response, Nye tugged the hood of her jacket over her face, poorly covering the redness of her cheeks.

 _When did he become so easy to forgive?_

...

Daryl watched her retreat, internally sending a 'thanks' to Toby for his advice. As it seemed to be correct.

Nye really was too soft for her own good. Her need for people to trust, and care about her, was going to bite her in the ass one day. And Daryl really didn't want to see the aftermath.

...

It was well into the night, but nobody slept. Too wired by recent events. A few candles were lit, as everyone milled around, silent and too deep into their own heads.

Until Beth decided to try and lighten some spirits, and break the unspoken tension.

" _They hung a sign up in our town... If you live it up, you won't live it down_ ~"

Nye sat, with Mason and her left, and Toby on her right. All three were up on the catwalk, dangling their legs over the edge.

She perked up, recognizing the song. Crossing her arms on the lowest bar of the railing, she rested her head on them as she hummed along.

" _So she left Monte Rio, son... Just like a bullet leaves a... gun_ ~"

Toby got up, disappearing into Nye's cell, and returning with her acoustic guitar.

" _With charcoal eyes and Monroe hips. She went and took the California trip_ ~"

Toby held it out to her, eyes wide, and a pout on his lips. When she turned to Mason, she received the same pleading face.

Sighing noiselessly, Nye took the guitar. Taking a second for Beth to finish the verse, Nye started strumming the notes to the song.

" _Well, the moon was gold and her hair like wind, said don't look back now_ ~"

A few looked up at the three, at the sudden addition of acoustics. Several pleased looks were sent her way, but Nye was too focused on playing the right cords to notice.

So she missed the almost boyish smile from Daryl.

" _Just come on, Jim. You got to hold on. Hold on_ ~"

Both boys leaned back, laying themselves down on the concrete. Mason closed his eyes, drifting off, while Toby flittered his eyes over the ceiling. The music soothing them all.

" _You got to hold on_ ~"

Fingers now used to the cords again, Nye threw her inhibitions to the wind, focusing on something easier.

" _ **Take my hand, I'm standing right here.** **You got to hold on**_ ~"

Mason's eyes shot open, and Toby immediately turned his head to look at her in surprise. Neither boy thought they ever got to hear Nye sing enough, so when she did, it was well worth their full attention.

Nye's voice was a bit deeper than Beth's, scratchier too. But it had its own sort of charm to it. Her voice was the kind that wasn't perfect, but something about it still soothed you.

Beth glanced up, not breaking rhythm for a second. She smiled up at the brunette, before looking back around as she sang.

" ** _Well, he gave her a dime-store watch... And a ring made from a, spoon. Everyone's looking for someone to blame_** ~"

Her fingers continued to run up and down the cords, as she swayed softly back and forth. Eyes closed as she sang.

" ** _If you share my bed, you share my name_** ~"

Merle watched as his brother's eyes never left the short brunette playing the guitar.


	25. Calm before a storm

**Alright, this is the third Thursday in a row that I've updated. And I'm confident enough to say, that every Thursday is my updating schedule. As long as things keep going this smoothly, I'll be able to post every Thursday. But that might change once I get a job.**

* * *

The next day, Rick, Carl, and Michonne went on a run for guns. The former sheriff didn't say anything, but it was clear to everyone that taking the woman with him and Carl was a sort of test.

In the act of foraging for more guns and ammo to protect themselves, the three had taken what little ammo they had left. Leaving the prison almost completely defenseless. Something that had set everyone on edge.

When Nye was changing Mason's bandage up in his cell, she was paid a visit by the Dixon she was still talking to.

Merle whistled as he leaned against the doorway, eyeing Mason's wound. "Damn kid, looks like it hurts."

While Nye silently rolled her eyes, Mason scoffed. "Yeah, no shit."

At Mason's retort, Merle grinned. Amused that the curly haired kid showed he was in no way intimated by the older redneck.

"How'd it happen?"

Nye opened her mouth, but Mason spoke first.

"I was in the courtyard, near the graves. I don't remember much though. Just feeling like my side was on fire, and Mom hovering over me."

Merle hummed, not surprised the kid had blocked out the most of it.

"Oki-doke. I'm all done." Nye announced, sitting up and theatrically swiping her hands clean.

"Cool." Mason grunted, sitting up.

Nye immediately shut that shit down. "Nope, sit your ass back down. You won't heal if you keep overexerting yourself."

"Your mom's right kid, sooner you're healed, the better."

Nye blinked, looking over at Merle in surprise.

At her look, the older Dixon shrugged. "Can't exactly run for your life if you've got an open gunshot wound."

Pursing her lips, and narrowing her eyes, Nye hummed. "Fair."

"Hey."

Nye and Merle looked over at Daryl as he ascended the stairs, watching his brother warily.

"Sup Daryl!" Mason shouted from the bottom bunk.

The archer gave a greeting nod to the kid in return, instead of answering verbally.

Shifting his feet, Daryl glanced back and forth between his brother and Nye. As if silently asking her if everything was okay.

Nye raised a brow, silently saying "Piss off."

Daryl nodded twice, (which translated to "Got it.") before turning right back around, stepping down the stairs.

As soon as his back was turned, Nye's shoulders dropped.

"My _God_ , just forgive him." Mason groaned.

Scowling childishly, Nye crossed her arms. "Not yet. He was an insensitive dick, and I need time to brood."

 _I already have, but I've got a reputation to uphold._

Mason snorted. "Toby says you look like Kermit the Frog when you brood."

Merle chuckled lowly at her expense, while Nye looked down on her son in shock.

"You're kidding."

"Nope."

"How the ever-loving _fuck_ , do I look like Kermit the Frog?"

"Only when you brood." Mason affirmed.

Sputtering, Nye glared at both males, who were _both_ laughing at her now.

She crossed her arms. "I'll tell your brother you're being mean to me."

Both Mason and Merle stopped laughing. And Merle gestured to himself, then Mason. "Which one of us are you talkin' about?"

She smirked. "Yes."

Mason and Merle chose wisely not to continue laughing at her. Mason, because if Toby had it in his head that he hurt Nye's feelings, the eleven year old would ride his ass _hard_. And Merle, he just had a feeling that Daryl would be willing to commit homicide for the brunette.

When the small group of three returned, it was with several surprises. The first, being that they had ran into the man, Morgan, who saved Rick's life when he woke up from his coma. The second, was that Morgan, had quite the stash of guns and the like, and thankfully gave them a huge chunk of his weapons. The third, was Carl had managed to not only get Judith a real crib, but also a family picture, of him, Rick, and most importantly, Lori.

Carl insisted that Michonne was the reason he was even able to get the picture. Showing that the woman had won Carl over, and that was almost a sure fire sign that Michonne was sticking around.

Setting down several bags of weapons on one of the metal tables, Rick took out gun, after gun, after gun. While Carl took out the ammo.

Michonne walked up to Daryl, holding out a brand new crossbow.

He took it, weighing it in his hands, then held it up, aiming it. After a second he lowered it, seeming to approve the new weapon. He nodded to Michonne in thanks.

As Nye was snooping around in the bags, she found a rolled up strip of leather. When she unrolled it across the table, it revealed a dozen blades. None of which had rubber, leather, or even plastic handles. Picking one up, Nye weighed it much like Daryl had done with the crossbow. And after feeling the heavy, but balanced weight, Nye knew what it was.

"Dibs." She called, staking claim to the throwing knives.

"What are those?" Glenn asked, setting down one of the many rifles.

"Throwin' knives." Merle answered, much to the annoyance of Glenn. "You know how to use those, Shorty?"

"I'll learn." Nye shrugged.

"Okay, this is good." Rick caught everyone's attention. "But we can't relax, so long as The Governor is alive, it's not safe to let our guard down."

"We got the guns and ammo, what's stoppin' us from takin' the fight to him?" Daryl questioned.

"Andrea was right about one thing." Nye said. "There are innocents living in that town. Not to mention, the last time you guys went there, you almost didn't come back."

Rick nodded agreeingly. "Best thing for us to do at the moment, is wait."

...

Waiting seemed to be fruitful, as the next day, Andrea showed back up at the prison. She only stuck around long enough to hold Judith as she told them that _Philip_ wanted to hold a civil discussion with Rick, pertaining to the two working their issues out. As if it was that easy.

Rick agreed, on the condition that he could bring three people with him. Andrea replied, saying that _Philip_ was planning to bring a few men of his own. So there should be no problem.

"Just as a precaution." She had assured as Rick stared her down.

The first two people Rick picked were obvious, but the third was surprising. Daryl, for physical backup. Hershel as a morality center. And Nye.

"Why her?" Daryl asked, looking not fully onboard with the plan.

Rick looked over to the former nurse, giving her a once over. "When she wants to be, Nye can be a jack-of-all-trades."

"Bullshit." Mason retorted from the catwalk.

But it made sense. If she didn't have good fighting skills, she wouldn't be alive. If she didn't have quick thinking, again, she probably wouldn't be alive. But, if she didn't have a charismatic charm about her, she wouldn't have Mason or Toby.

And charm might be what they would need. It was better safe than sorry.

After they all geared up, arming themselves to the teeth, the four chosen went over to their green mini-van, and Daryl's bike.

Mason was helped outside, where he and Toby hugged her goodbye.

Hershel got into the driver's seat, something Nye didn't think was the smartest idea, seeing as how he was missing a leg.

After Rick got in the passenger seat, Nye reached for the handle to the seat behind Hershel. When the door didn't open on the first couple tries, Nye looked up at Hershel, swinging her arms in a 'what the hell?' fashion.

"You're riding with Daryl." The former vet told her, in a no-nonsense tone.

"I-I, but... What? Why?"

Hershel didn't answer verbally, instead he merely rolled up his window, muffling and blocking out Nye's indignant rant.

She stopped midway through, seeing that she would get nowhere.

Hershel and Rick watched as she threw her hands up in angered defeat, stomping over to Daryl.

"Why'd you do that?"

Hershel sighed tiredly. "You see it, don't you?"

The former sheriff looked through the windshield, as Nye approached the redneck. Who straightened up on his bike. Looking her over, as if concerned she had somehow managed to hurt herself in the five minutes he left her alone.

"...Yeah. But they don't."

"They will. We just have to give it time."

Outside the mini-van, Nye shifted her weight around, glaring at the dirt. "Hershel locked me out of the car."

Daryl's brows furrowed. "Why?"

"Hell if I know." She muttered, before nodding to the back of his bike. "I'm riding with you."

Daryl nodded, gripping the handlebars tightly, as he kicked the stand up.

As she watched him going through the motions, wearing his leather jacket under his winged vest, Nye felt another shiver.

 _The hell is with that!?_

"Hop on."

Nye grumbled incoherently, tugging her goggles down over her eyes for once (the way goggles were intended). As she sat on the back of the seat, she held tightly around his middle. Daryl tensed, before relaxing marginally.

As the motorcycle roared to life, and they started moving, Nye quickly held tighter, not used to riding.

Feeling his back and shoulder-blades move as he steered the bike, for whatever reason, made a swirly feeling build up in Nye's stomach.

...

When they arrived at the meeting place. A sort of hay, and oats farming plant, Nye gathered. Everyone but Hershel left their vehicle, looking around suspiciously.

Rick gestured for Daryl to follow him, while Nye stayed behind with Hershel.

Said man was pulling up his right pant-leg, checking the two duck-taped pistols there were secure and ready to go.

Nye peered around, large rifle hoisted up, aiming immediately on anything that moved.

After what felt like too long, Hershel told her to get in the car. Once inside he drove them over to the other side of the main building.

As she looked around, Nye felt a pit form in her stomach. Forboding welling up all around. The whole place was giving Nye an anxious feeling, as if something huge would happen here. And her gut was usually right when it came to these things.

 _It feels like the calm before a storm._

Hershel parked as he saw Daryl appear around the corner, coming from the building.

He stood by Hershel's door, looking around uneasily. "He's already in there. Sat down with Rick."

Nye hopped out, shouldering her rifle. "Are you serious?"

Hershel looked around. "I don't see any cars."

Daryl shook his head, biting his lip. "It don't feel right." He tipped his head down to the hood of the car. "Keep it running."

Only a second passed, before the sound of tires on gravel pulled their attention to an upcoming car.

Daryl tapped the hood, lifting his new crossbow. "Heads up."

The first to come out was the driver, a smug looking man with dark scruff. The second was someone who Nye internally noted looked like James Potter, with wire-thin round glasses. The last to get out was Andrea, who look slightly relieved to once again see part of her former group.

"What the hell? Why's your boy already in there?" Daryl demanded.

Andrea stared at them in shock. "He's here?"

"Yup." The man with the scruff said.

Andrea shook her head angrily, marching right up to the building.

While they waited, Nye perched herself on the hood, watching as Daryl paced like a caged animal.

"Maybe I should go inside." Hershel suggested, making sure to sound as none-threatening as possible.

Fake-James-Potter looked up from his journal he was scribbling away in. "The Governor thought it best if he and Rick spoke privately."

Daryl stopped his pacing. "Who the hell are you?"

"Milton Mamet."

Nye tipped her head to the side. "Kinda sounds like a super hero name."

After receiving one too many looks, Nye fidgeted uncomfortably, explaining.

"You know, like Peter Parker, Wally West, or Bruce Banner..." Face flushing as some of the stares remained, Nye ducked her head. "...I'll shut up now."

Daryl continued pacing. "So why'd he bring his butler?"

The guy with the scruff snorted, clearly taking delight in the mockery.

Milton looked up again, staring down the hunter. "I'm his advisor."

"What kind of advice?" Daryl asked, not at all genuinely interested.

"Planning. Biters." Milton trailed off before shrugging. "Uh, you know, I'm sorry. I don't feel like I need to explain myself to the henchmen."

"Hey, rude. I said you sounded like a comic book character."

"You better watch your mouth, princess." Daryl shot back over Nye's retort.

"Look, if you and I are gonna be out here pointing guns at each other all day, do me a favor, shut your mouth." Scruff said.

"I'm sorry," Nye started heatedly in mock confusion. "Who was talking to you? Or, were you just _that_ in need of attention?"

Scruff clenched his jaw, but made no move towards Nye. But that may have been because Daryl got in his face before he could.

"We don't need this." Hershel spoke up. "If all goes south in there, we'll be at each other's throats soon enough."

Daryl slowly backed off, walking back to the former vet, and nurse.

To pass the time, Nye did everything from untying and retying her shoes, to singing her favorite Queen songs beginning to end in her head.

When Andrea stepped out, everyone looked up in anticipation. But it was only the blonde to leave the building. At the dejected look on her face, Scruff and Milton looked a tad bit concerned for her, which comforted Nye in a way.

Scruff stepped to to the door, closing it.

Milton hesitantly stepped forward. "There's no reason not to use this time we have together to explore the issues ourselves."

"Boss said to sit tight and shut up." Scruff snapped.

"Don't you mean The Governor?" Daryl mocked.

Milton continued on civilly. "It's a good thing they're sitting down, especially after what happened. They're gonna work it out. Nobody wants another battle."

"I wouldn't exactly call it a battle." Daryl scoffed.

"I would call it a battle and I did. I recorded it." Milton said, holding up his journal.

Nye shook her head disbelievingly. "Why?"

"Somebody's got to keep a record of what we've gone through. It'll be a part of our history."

Nye blinked in faint surprise at his answer, while Hershel nodded wisely.

"That makes sense."

Nye leaned back against the windshield. "I... Yeah, actually, it does. If we ignore it, history's doomed to repeat itself."

"Exactly." Milton said proudly.

Daryl had looked ready to mock Milton some more, until Nye had spoken.

Milton excitedly walked up to Nye and Hershel, flipping through his journal. "I've got dozens of interviews-"

The snarling of Walkers caught everyone's attention. Daryl, Scruff, Nye, and Andrea all ran around the building. Finding five Walkers all shambling towards them.

Daryl lowered his crossbow, sweeping his hand in the direction of the undead, staring down Scruff. "After you."

Scruff scoffed, pointing his metal bat at the Walkers. "No way. You first."

In a surprising act of comradery, Nye and Andrea rolled their eyes at the men, glancing at each other. Without a word shared between them, both women brushed passed the men.

"Put the rulers away, boys." Nye called as she and the blonde marched forward.

Andrea let out a battle cry, pushing a Walker up against the wall, and quickly stabbing it in the eye.

Nye dropped her rifle, the strap preventing it from falling to the ground, and instead took her wrench off of her belt. Swinging it in her hand, Nye approached one of the Walkers. Deciding to show off a little, she swung the wrench upwards as hard as she could, catching it under the chin. The result being, the Walker's jaw shattered, and its neck tore from the force. The back of its head now touching its shoulder-blades, neck no stronger than a wet noodle, as it fell to the ground, lifeless.

Andrea turned and walked away, not sparing a glance at the two men.

Nye followed, but paused a few yards away, watching the two take out the ones left.

Scruff bashed one's head in, looking over his shoulder smugly. Daryl shrugged, unfazed, and put a bolt in one.

Scruff walked towards the last Walkers, but Daryl intervened. Quickly pulling out one of his knives, holding it by the blade, he flicked his wrist, and imbedded the knife into the Walker's skull.

Nye's eyes widened, mouth dropping open as she watched Daryl throw the knife with dead-on accuracy. The strongest shiver yet, ran through her as a result. She chose to ignore it.

Running to catch up with Andrea, Nye hooked her bloodied wrench back on her belt.

The blonde looked to her left as Nye slowed to a walk next to her.

"Men compete in the stupidest things."

Nye hummed agreeingly, but shrugged. "It's just biology. Think of it like how a bird struts his feathers to attract a mate. I guess it's just hard-wired into their brains to show off."

Andrea nodded, chuckling lightly. "Never would have expected Daryl to be one for showing off. But, than again..."

"What?"

Andrea smiled at her, as if she knew something the brunette didn't. "Nothing. Let's go see how things are going."

...

When Rick and The Governor exited the building, everyone who had been brought along shared a silent look. Andrea, much to Hershel's disappointment, got back in the car with The Governor.

Rick got in their car, this time in the driver's seat, while Hershel rode shotgun. This time Nye didn't bother going for the car, she only pulled her goggles back down, and latched onto Daryl's back.

The drive back seemed much shorter than it should have. But that may have been because Nye wasn't ready to hear what Rick had to say.

Carl and Carol pulled the gate open as they arrived. The two watched the vehicles in trepidation.

Nye stepped off the bike, legs numb and unsteady from the bike's vibrations. Daryl silently helped her stay upright.

A large percentage of the group was outside, waiting for Rick's news.

Their leader got out of the car, took a look around, and nodded to the prison.

"Let's get inside."

Once inside, everyone stood in a rough circle around Rick. The only ones sitting were Beth, who held Judith, and Mason.

Rick looked to the floor, thinking things over. When he raised his head, it was with a cold look in his eyes.

"So, I met this Governor. Sat with him for quite a while."

"Just the two of you?" Merle asked suspiciously.

"Yeah."

Merle shook his head ruefully, walking closer to Daryl. "Should have gone when we had the chance, bro."

Rick ignored him. "He wants the prison. He wants us gone. Dead."

Nye frowned, putting her hands on top of Mason and Toby's heads.

"He wants us dead for what we did to Woodbury." Rick told them, shifting his stance. He looked each one of them in the eye, before saying,

"We're going to war."

There were several sharp inhales, as well as guns being picked up, at Rick's announcement.

Rick left the cell-block, Hershel following behind.

Nye bit her lip, compulsively toying with her goggles. Until Toby reached up and untangled the mess of fingers, goggles, and hair.

She looked down at them. Taking comfort in how heavily armed they appeared to be, as well as the torso body armor they both wore now. Even while inside the prison.

"I'm... gonna talk to Rick."

The brothers shared a glance, before Toby nodded bracingly. "Okay, we'll... do something while you're gone."

After a quick peck on both boys' cheeks, Nye followed where she saw their leader and doctor go.

Hearing muffled voices coming from the outdoor catwalk, Nye jogged over. As she was seconds away from stepping outside, Rick said something that stopped her cold in her tracks.

"He gave me a choice."

Her brows furrowed, and she leaned herself against the wall as she eavesdropped.

"A way out."

"What does he want?" She heard Hershel inquire.

Rick sighed.

"...Michonne."

Nye slapped her hand over her mouth, staring blankly at the space in front of her with wide eyes.

"He'll kill her." Hershel told him.

"And then kill us anyway." Rick agreed.

Nye began to relax slightly, assuming that Rick had ruled out the deal completely.

"...What if he doesn't?"

Tensing even worse than before, Nye stared at the wall in front of her in horror.

"What if this is the answer?"

"Why didn't you tell them?"

"They need to be scared."

"They are."

"Good...'Cause that's the only way they'll accept it."

Nye swallowed dryly, forcing her legs to carry her away from Rick and Hershel before they caught her.

When she was back in the cell-block, and caught sight of everyone preparing, she knew she wouldn't be able to bring herself to say anything, not yet.

Rick was right about something. It was good to be afraid. Fear was always the best motivater.

But when Michonne caught sight of her, giving her a nod. Nye had to look away, stomach turning.

She may not say anything, but the second Rick made a move, she would be on him, and the dumbass deal, in a heartbeat. Michonne was one of them now. No way was she letting Rick trade the woman's life away.

In her determination to do the right thing, Nye unknowingly committed herself to a fate laced in blood.

* * *

 **IMPORTANT. PLEASE READ.**

 **So, short chap, I know. But, what if I told you, that the next one, is the season finale, AND, is almost eleven thousand words long.**

 **Yeah, the next one is... it's huge. it is hands down the most important, and plot shifting chapter to date. In fact, I foreshadowed it, in CHAPTER ONE. It's a long time coming.**

 **Basically, here's a little background on things. There was a single scene that popped into my head, that was the catalyst for EVERYTHING. Nye, Mason, Toby, Shepherd, all of my original ideas for this story, were built around _that_ scene. I wrote this story, because I saw in my head, a crazy, intense scene, with a nameless girl at the center of it. Not long after, she had a name. Then two kids. And finally, a story.**

 **And now here we are. So, I'm incredibly excited. This is the turning point for so many things. Namely, Nye and Daryl's relationship being one of them. Here we go.**

 **(The cover imagine is also getting a makeover with the next chapter as well.)**


	26. Sunshine

The morning of the trade (which Rick still didn't know Nye knew about) started off with, what Nye took as, a bad omen.

Right as the sun was cresting over the horizon, Judith's ear-piercing cries woke everyone in the cell-block up.

For over half an hour, almost every single group member tried their hand in getting the infant to go back to sleep.

"I don't know what to do. We've tried feeding her. Changing her. Rocking her. Nothing's worked." Beth listed off, the poor teenager looking on the verge of tears herself.

Rick exhaled deeply, rubbing his eyes. "Have we tried-"

"Yes Dad, we tried that." Carl cut him off, sitting at one of the tables, with his face down resting on its surface.

Surprisingly, Merle had stayed tight-lipped throughout the ordeal. Having enough tact to not curse out a baby.

"What about singing?" Michonne suggested.

Beth shrugged helplessly. "I tried."

Toby sat up from his spot next to Carl. "Mom hasn't."

Nye, who had been resting her eyes while sitting in the middle of the stairs, looked up.

With dozens of eyes staring right back at her, Nye caved.

"Fine, just gimme a sec..."

Quickly stepping into her cell, and returning with her guitar, Nye walked over to the table the three boys sat at. Choosing to sit atop it instead of on a chair.

Judith was handed off to Rick, as Nye looked down at the instrument thoughtfully.

"Just pick something, _my God_." Mason groaned, the healing graze taking even more energy out of him.

After a second, Nye settled on a classic. Her fingers positioned themselves by muscle-memory, and she closed her eyes, not feeling comfortable singing alone, and not wanting to see anyone's face while she did.

A few strings were played, before she opened her mouth, singing,

" _The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held you, in my arms_ ~"

There were a few people who didn't recognize it yet, as not many people knew the whole song. But Carol, and the Greenes seemed to catch on immediately.

" _But when I awoke, dear, I was mistaken. And I hung my head, and I cried_ ~"

Nye took a breath, picking up the tempo slightly.

" _You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are grey_ ~"

Rick, Carl, and Michonne grinned as Judith began to quiet. While Mason and Toby closed their eyes and listened intently.

" _You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take, my sunshine away_ ~"

Maggie leaned into Glenn's side, both closing their eyes as Judith's cries transitioned to soft whimpers.

" _I'll always love you and make you happy, If you will only, say the same_ ~"

As Nye heard the cell-block become more quiet, she grinned as she sang.

" _But if you leave me to love another, you'll regret it all some day_ ~"

Merle crossed his arms, leaning against the wall, eyes going back and forth, watching the brunette, and how his brother was looking at her.

" _You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are grey. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away_ ~"

Daryl watched, taking in how she swayed softly along to the music. And how the longer she sang, the wider her smile grew.

" _You told me once, dear, you really loved me. And no one else could, come between. But now you've left me, and love another. You have shattered all of my dreams_ ~"

The strumming started to slow, and she finally opened her eyes, looking down at the guitar.

" _You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are grey. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you_ ~

Judith had stopped crying by this point, falling silently to sleep. But no one moved to stop Nye as she finished the song.

" _Please don't take, my sunshine away_ ~"

As the final cord rang out, no one dared break the silence it left behind.

Except for Glenn.

"Wow, that song's way sadder than I realized." He said in a hushed whisper.

A few people snickered, while Nye blushed.

"Sorry, it was the first one I could think of."

Carl lifted his head from the table. "I think Judith liked it."

Nye hummed, looking down at the sheriff's son thankfully. Hopping down from the table, she headed to the stairs to put up her guitar.

As she set it down on her top bunk, Nye listened to the hushed conversations going on downstairs.

Everytime she heard Michonne's voice, she flinched.

...

Two hours later, a portion of the group went out into the courtyard, setting up a barbed-wire trap for any car that tried barreling through their fence uninvited.

While Carl and Maggie attracted the Walkers by yelling and banging pots together, the rest drove a pick-up around the courtyard, setting the traps.

Daryl, Nye, and Glenn rode in the bed of the truck, something that made Nye grin ear-to-ear, even despite the shitty circumstances.

"What's with your face?" Glenn asked, watching her warily.

Nye shrugged. "Best memories from my childhood were in the back of a pick-up." Looking down at the metal floor of the bed, Nye's grin dimmed slightly. "Every summer, when the weather was warm, but not hot, me and Shep would ride around like dumbasses in the backs of trucks."

Glenn gave her a soft look, feeling bad for prying and bringing up old memories. Daryl's eyes ran all over her face, making sure she wasn't about to get any further upset.

She shook her head, jumping out as soon as the truck was back behind the fence.

"They try to drive up to the gate again, maybe some blown tires will stop them." Glenn explained to Rick, seeing the leader's confused face.

Rick nodded a couple times, never looking at Michonne. "That's a good idea."

"It was Michonne's." Daryl said lowly.

Nye's eyes widened, staring at the redneck in shock.

 _He knows._

And if Daryl knew, Nye was willing to bet it was because Rick wanted Merle doing the dirty work.

"We don't have to win." Michonne said confidently. "We just have to make their getting at us more trouble than it's worth."

Rick glanced at her only for a moment, before having to look away.

Nye looked between them uncomfortably, wishing she could just convince Rick to drop the plan. But if she tried talking to him, it would give away that she knew about it. And that was her only card up her sleeve.

When they went back inside, they saw several torn up mattresses littering the cell-block. Carol cradled Judith, looking at their shocked faces as they saw the mess.

Rick, it seemed already knew about the chaos, and didn't seemed fazed by it anymore.

"Glenn, I need you to chain up the busted door on the outside of the cell-block." Rick said.

Nye narrowed her eyes. "What're _you_ gonna do?"

Rick didn't answer. Marching through the door like a man on a mission.

Nye scowled, watching his back as he walked away. No sooner than he was out of the cell-block, was Nye basically pouncing on Michonne.

"Hey, to break the tension, how about you, me, Mason, Toby, and Carl play a game."

Michonne looked at her strangely. "A game? Now?"

Nye shrugged stiffly. "Yeah, you in?"

 _...Because your life kinda hangs in the balance._

...

Charades was out, because of Mason's injury. As was Tag. Hide 'n Seek was too dangerous given the current situation. And Eye-Spy was immediately shot down by the kids, much to Michonne's confusion.

They finally settled on Jacks, after Toby pulled his set out of his bag.

Everyone had had at least five turns before what Nye was dreading happened.

"Rick's got a job for you and me." Merle said to Michonne, arms crossed.

Nye swallowed, feeling paralyzed as she watched Michonne stand.

"What kind of job?"

"Clearin' out Walkers that made it into the tombs."

Michonne nodded, picking up her sword. Looking down at the other four who were seated on the ground, Michonne gave an apologetic look. "Guess I'm out."

As she and Merle walked away, Nye tensed and waited. The second they were gone, she shot to her feet.

"I gotta go do something." She hurriedly told them, double-checking she had her gun. "Carl, if your dad asks where I am, tell him to suck my dick."

Carl blinked, furrowing his brows. "What? Why? What are you about to do?"

"No time." She rushed out, hooking her wrench back on her belt. After it was secure, she kneeled down and gave each boy a peck on the cheek.

"I love you guys. Don't go outside. And _do not_ follow me."

Mason stared at her in worried suspicion. And Toby frowned in concern. "Mom-"

Smiling rigidly, Nye knocked each of their hats askew. "Trust me. I'll be back, just don't tell anyone I left."

Getting confused and reluctant nods, Nye took a bracing breath.

Running out of the cell-block before any of the kids could change their mind and stop her, Nye held her hand on her gun holster, mentally preparing for whatever type of fighting she was about to initiate.

Following the faint sound of voices, Nye kept to corners, and walked on her toes. Not yet wanting Merle to know she was there.

"So where is it?" Michonne's voice echoed off the concrete walls of the corridor.

Nye breathed sharply through her nose, hand firmly gripping her black pistol.

"Around the corner. We got to clear some Walkers, then get the others down here to barricade it." Merle answered her, using a rather convincing lie. "A breach like this could be an open invitation to The Governor."

Nye peered around the corner, ducking back when she saw Merle and Michonne's backs.

"He's not much for subtlety." Michonne commented, as a Walker reached for her through the bars of a locked cell.

Another Walker appeared before them, catching the sent of live people. Merle gestured for Michonne to take car of it.

"You want to take your chances?" Merle challenged, as four more Walkers showed up.

He killed one, and when Michonne moved to swing her sword at the rest, Merle hit her over the head with the blunt side of his stump. Knocking her out.

Nye gasped, leaving her corner and training her gun on Merle.

After he dispatched the last three Walkers, Nye widened her stance, trying to appear sure of herself.

"Merle!"

The elder Dixon tensed, then relaxed as he turned and looked at her.

"Oh hell Shorty, tell me Rick didn't send you."

Nye clenched her teeth, keeping her gun aimed at his shoulder. "No. He doesn't even know _I_ know about the deal."

Merle chuckled, reaching down and taking Michonne's sword.

"Hey!"

"Do us both a favor and put the gun down. You don't got what it takes to shoot me."

The pistol rattled, as Nye's hands began to shake. "I mean it Merle, leave her alone."

Merle scoffed. "You're tellin' me her life matters more to you than your kids'?"

"Nothing matters more than them!" Nye barked, gun steadying. "But this deal won't work, and you know it."

Sighing, the redneck reached down, grabbing Michonne's feet, and started dragging her away.

"Merle-"

"You ain't gonna shoot me. And you ain't gonna go get back-up. Which means you're gonna help me."

Nye opened and closed her mouth without a word coming out. Hating how right he was. She wouldn't be able to bring herself to shoot him. And if she left to get someone, he would probably already be gone when she came back. Which left her with helping, and going along with him, all while trying to stop the deal.

Snarling silently, Nye dropped the gun, holstering it roughly.

"Atta girl."

"Fuck you."

Hooking her arms under Michonne's, Nye lifted her top half off of the ground, so she wasn't being limply dragged haphazardly.

Merle took them to the generator room, where he had a duffle-bag ready.

Merle went to put a pillowcase over Michonne's face, but Nye snatched it from him.

Getting a glare from the elder Dixon, Nye sighed. Putting the pillowcase on her, much more gently than Merle would have, she made sure to mind the forming bump on the unconscious woman's head.

"Couldn't you have held her at gunpoint or something? You didn't have to knock her out." Nye grumbled, watching as Merle took some wire out of the duffle-bag.

"You know that wouldn't have worked."

"So you're admitting that Michonne could kick your ass? Even while at gunpoint?" Nye snarked.

Merle nodded, reaching for her wrists. "Yeah, I'm man enough to admit it."

When Merle started wrapping Michonne's wrists with the wire, Nye panicked

"Stop!"

Merle looked up in surprise as Nye grabbed onto his hand, preventing him from tying the woman up.

"I-isn't there some other way we can keep her apprehended?"

Merle looked down at her, contemplatively. "I could find some handcuffs-"

" _No_!" Nye said shrilly. "Not handcuffs!"

Merle stared at her for a moment, before glancing down to her hands.

In her haste to stop him, her sweater sleeves rode up, exposing her wrists.

His eyes zeroed in on the jagged, pale scar, that went all around her right one.

Following his line of sight, Nye pulled her hands back, as if burned, and tugged her sleeves so far down that they covered her hands completely.

"...Okay, no handcuffs."

Nye relaxed slightly, picking at the ends of her sleeves.

"...But I do need to tie her up. Are the wires okay?"

Nye looked at him in surprise, watching how he looked her over, seemingly genuinely concerned about triggering her. It was almost like he had experience with people who had been abused...

Then a terrible thought hit her.

 _Him, and Daryl... Were they...?_

The mere idea that the brothers had possibly been abused... The idea that Daryl, the strongest man she ever met, could have been hurt by someone in _that way_ , made Nye feel hot and cold at the same time.

Nodding jerkily, Nye couldn't look him in the eyes. "Y-yeah, the wires are fine."

Merle watched her for a second longer, before sighing, and tying Michonne's hands together.

Seeing him doing it with one hand, Nye sat up. "I can help-"

"No."

Nye jumped at his firm response.

"...You ain't gotta help with this part."

Mouth hanging open faintly, Nye felt herself let slip some of the dislike she had for Merle. He was still a sexist, racist, asshole. But he obviously had some level of human emotion. Which truly shined in how he was handling her triggers.

A small tug pulled on the corner of her lips. "...Okay."

...

Merle carried Michonne as he led Nye out of the prison through the tombs. When they got outside, Merle didn't hesitate leaving the fence.

When Nye paused, finally getting hit with the severity of the situation, Merle beckoned to her.

"No way are you stayin' behind. You'll snitch."

As they walked through the woods, then finally along the road, Nye didn't engage in starting conversation the whole time. Which left the job to Merle.

"That's my brother's gun, ain't it?"

Brows furrowing, Nye put her hand over her holster. "Yeah, Daryl gave it to me before winter."

Merle hummed, about to say something, when Michonne finally moved.

She immediately began to struggle as she regained consciousness, so Merle slowly set her down.

"Rise 'n shine." He joked.

Michonne stepped away, reaching up and yanking off the pillowcase.

She panted, looking between Merle and Nye in confusion and shock.

"What's going on?"

Nye winced at the accusatory tone, shuffling her feet awkwardly.

"We'll explain on the way, c'mon."

Michonne glared at Merle, not moving an inch.

"Michonne, it's best if you go along with it for now. Okay?"

Michonne turned her glare on the brunette. "Why are you helping him?"

Nye frowned guiltily, unsure of what to say.

"She couldn't kill me, and she couldn't leave me alone with you." Merle supplied.

Nye nodded. "I'm following along to help you escape."

Merle nudged Michonne forward. "Let's go."

They walked in silence for awhile, before Michonne turned to look at them.

"I thought you were going to explain?"

Nye went to do as such, but instead chose to let Merle tell the story.

"Governor made Rick an offer. Turn you over and we all give peace a chance."

It was clear by the look on her face, that Michonne didn't think Rick had it in him to make the trade. But Merle might.

"I agree with you." He said, catching her doubtful look. "He would have blinked."

"But not you." Michonne quietly spoke.

"I'm being straight with you."

"You were straight when you led me into the tombs." Michonne snapped.

"...Okay, maybe I wasn't straight."

"You put a bag over my head!"

"Pillowcase, and that was me." Nye raised her hand meekly.

"I got it done. He wouldn't. Keep movin'." Merle ordered.

He looked around at the once live neighborhood, now with empty houses, and bodies buried in backyards. "He was a guy that came back for me on that rooftop." He scoffed, shaking his head. "Nah. It's all on me."

At the mocking tone of the last statement, Michonne rolled her eyes.

"You know? I figure that's why I was back there in the first place. Do the dirty work." Merle finished his monologue.

They continued walking, and Nye felt the need to say something with every step.

"...I was with you."

Merle stopped, looking back at the brunette from where she had fallen behind. Michonne looked back too.

"In that building, the night you were h-handcuffed to the roof, I was there the whole time."

Merle scowled suspiciously. "The hell you talkin' about?"

Nye pursed her lips, scuffing her right converse across the pavement. "They thought I was dead. I was hold out in a room, waiting for some Walkers to leave, and they left me behind. I... I heard your screams, but... at the time, I just though they were in my head."

Merle leaned back on his heels, scoffing faintly in shock. "No shit."

"Yeah. When they came to rescue you, they found me instead." Nye chuckled breathily, looking down at the pavement, a fond look in her eyes. "Daryl, he, uh, shot at me, actually."

"Why?" Michonne asked in bewilderment, not believing that there could have ever been a time where Daryl would put the brunette in harm's way.

Nye's smile grew, as the fond look spread to her whole face. "The doofus thought I was a Walker. Luckily, I ducked, thank God. And immediately started to chew him out. I was all like "the hell Dixon?!" and he just kinda looked frozen in shock."

As Nye giggled, off looking back on memories in her head, Merle and Michonne watched her wordlessly.

A lone Walker snarled as it limped towards them. When Nye looked up, hand going to her wrench, Merle held up his, stopping her.

Taking the katana's handle, Merle looked over at Michonne. "May I?"

She only stared back at him, silently tight-lipped.

Merle shrugged with a smirk, pulling out the blade. "I'll take that as a yes."

When Merle turned his back, Nye latched onto Michonne's upper-arm, trying to pull her away. But the woman with dreadlocks stayed rooted in place.

As Merle swung the blade, decapitating the Walker, Nye noted how the slice wasn't nearly as smooth as Michonne's were.

"Oh!" Merle exlaimed as he saw the two women still there. "You know what? I'd have figured you two would have run."

Nye shrugged angrily. "Not for lack of trying."

Michonne smiled at him sweetly as he walked back to them. "Wanted my sword back before I get away."

Merle chuckled. "It may go down that way."

Nye crossed her arms. "It will. All three of us are making it back to the prison."

Merle shook his head, taking hold of the long wire attached to Michonne's wrists. "I wouldn't get my hopes up Shorty. It'll be two at best."

Looking back on it later, there was already a sort of resignation in his voice as Merle said it. But it wasn't for Michonne.

...

Almost everyone jumped as Rick and Daryl busted into the cell-block.

Both men looked around, before looking to each other, shaking the heads negative.

"Has anyone seen Nye?" Rick asked, voice heavy and demanding an answer.

He and Daryl had already pieced together that Merle left with Michonne, but as they were discussing the matter, Daryl realized he hadn't seen Nye in awhile either.

The three boys shared uncertain looks from across the room.

"What, why?" Glenn asked, now tensed in worry.

"I'll explain later, just tell me if you've seen her." Their leader ordered.

"Niagara hasn't been in the cell-block for the past hour. I assumed she was clearing out Walkers." Hershel spoke, having no reason to believe that Nye knew about the deal.

Daryl began pacing, holding his crossbow in a white-knuckled grip.

"Dad?"

"What Carl?"

Carl shifted his weight uncomfortably, ducking his head, and hiding his face behind his hat.

"Last time we saw Nye, she told us to do something for her."

Rick stood straighter, and Daryl stopped pacing.

"She said, that if you asked where she went, to tell you... to suck her dick."

Rick blinked, before his eyes fluttered shut, hand coming up to cover them. "...She knew. I don't know how, but she knew."

"Shit." Daryl snarled, resuming his pacing.

"Merle took her, and Niagara went after them to stop him. Didn't she?" Hershel guessed.

"Took who... what is going on?" Beth asked.

"I'm headin' out. See if I can catch up to 'em." Daryl said determinedly, heading to the door.

"She told us not to follow her." Toby said quietly, internally hoping Daryl would march out there and drag her back home.

"Bring her back!" Mason called to the archer as he left.

Daryl nodded, more to himself than to them.

He was going to bring them all back.

...

The neighborhood thinned out. They now were walking past a couple houses situated on rather big chunks of land.

They were the type of houses Nye wanted to live in with her boys.

"I want to be with my brother."

Nye looked behind her (now walking in front) at Merle.

"My brother, he wants to be in the prison." Merle continued, voicing his dilemma. "This little trip... maybe it'll keep that place standing."

Nye stared softly at the ground moving beneath her feet, understanding to a degree why Merle was doing all of this.

"If I pull it off, maybe all is forgiven." Merle said, not sounding very hopeful.

"That's a whole lot of maybes." Michonne replied.

Merle shrugged. "You got to play the hand you're dealt. And I only got one."

The three turned left, walking up a driveway, finally spotting a car.

Merle opened the surprisingly unlocked door, looking inside, before frowning and slamming the door back shut.

"I can hot-wire it?" Nye proposed.

Merle shook his head. "Nah, ain't worth it. Its got a flat anyway."

"You talk about the weight of what you have to do," Michonne said thoughtfully. "How you can handle it. But a bad man, someone truly evil, they're light as a feather. They don't feel a thing."

Merle chewed his lip much the same as Daryl often times did. "I've killed sixteen men since all this went down."

Nye's eyes softened, and she looked at him even less harshly than she had been before. "Merle... the bad people, they don't keep count."

Merles throat bobbed as he swallowed thickly, choosing to ignore the sentiment. The sound of several Walkers coming their way, gave him an excuse to move past it. "Let's go."

Having to outrun a dozen or so Walkers, gave Nye the time to try and think of a strategy. But it looked like the only way out of the situation, was if Merle let Michonne go.

After gaining a fair distance from the tiny herd, the three veered off toward an abandoned motel.

Nye frowned at the church next-door.

Merle tied Michonne to one of the wooden posts of the motel, making sure it was secure before going over to one of the empty cars in the parking-lot.

Nye watched as Merle pulled the antenna off of the hood, sticking the hooped end through the cracked window on the driver's side. The tiny hoop caught on the door lock, and Merle carefully pulled upwards. The door unlocked with a faint 'click'.

Nye leaned on the passenger door. "Were you right-handed?"

Merle tossed away the antenna. "Yup."

Whistling in reluctant respect, Nye bobbed her head. "Damn."

Merle opened the door, immediately getting to work on hot-wiring it.

"Come on." He muttered as the engine revved, but didn't start up.

"Want me to try?"

"Nah, I got it." Merle told her, just before the engine started up. "Yeah! That's the deal."

Nye involuntarily grinned. Until the car alarm started blaring.

Nye eyes widened, as her throat seized up. The alarms sounding too close to sirens. Yet another trigger of hers. Though from an entirely different source.

"Oh, shit." Merle grunted, struggling to get the alarm to go off.

Michonne looked between Merle, the approaching Walkers, and Nye, who was trembling.

"Nye! Merle!"

The brunette jerked, looking at Michonne like a frightened animal.

"Come on, Merle! Nye!" Michonne called, tugging on her restraints.

Seeing Michonne's struggle, Nye ran over, the fog lifting slightly. Nye pulled out her knife, sawing away at the wires.

"Behind you!"

Twirling around, Nye saw the Walker that was only three feet away, and still approaching. Nye acted fast, kicking its knees in, causing the Walker to fall to the ground. Where Michonne finished it off by stomping its head in.

When a female Walker quickly took the last one's place, Michonne raised the wire, running around and wrapping the Walker's neck in it. Standing behind the wooden post, Michonne pulled on the wire hard enough to decapitate it.

The alarm finally went off, and Merle ran over to them, cutting the wire with a swing of his right arm.

"Come on! Let's go!"

Michonne hopped in the passenger seat, while Nye jumped in the back. Merle reversed sharply, then drove them all out of the parking-lot, away from the Walkers.

Panting for breath, Nye checked herself for bites or scratches, just incase. When she was positive she was clear, she leaned over the front seat between Merle and Michonne, giving them both a once over as well.

"So is this your thing, then?" Michonne questioned Merle as he drove. "You take out the trash?"

"Don't be so hard on yourself, darlin'." Merle replied mockingly.

"The Governor, Rick," She listed off. "Anyone who needs their piss bucket emptied, and you come a-running."

Nye put a hand on Michonne's left shoulder. "Okay, maybe don't antagonize the guy holding you hostage."

"No, no, Shorty. I wanna hear this."

"Things are different for your brother."

"Yeah, they are." Merle scoffed. "Rick says jump and he wants to know how high."

Michonne shook her head. "Mm-mmm. Rick needs him. Respects him. He didn't ask him to do this little job, now, did he?"

"No, 'cause he wants it done." Merle refuted.

Michonne looked out her window, leaning back in her seat. "You keep telling yourself that. The truth is this could have been your shot. With your skills, a whole new beginning. But you choose to stay on the outside."

Nye busied herself by looking out the window, trying to spot how close they were to the feed plant.

"No one's gonna mourn you, not even Daryl."

Hazel locks slapped Nye in the face, as she looked sharply to Michonne.

"He's got a new family." Michonne said ruthlessly.

Nye sat straighter, trying to find the words to argue that yes, people would mourn Merle. _Especially_ Daryl.

"You keep tryin' to get under my skin, I'm gonna cut that tongue out." Merle growled. "Your buddy's turnin' you over, 'cause he's tryin' to save his own ass. You're as much on the outside as I am, girl."

"Maybe." Michonne shrugged, carefree. "But once The Governor's done with me, at least I won't have to live with myself."

The brunette in the back forced herself to stay silent, waiting to see how things played out.

"...You said you killed sixteen men since this thing started?" Michonne randomly asked. "You ever kill anyone before?"

Merle glanced at her, shaking his head minutely. "No."

"And how about before Woodbury? Before you met him?"

Merle pursed his lips, hand adjusting position on the steering wheel.

"Huh." Michonne tipped her head back. "So he saves your life, cleans you up, fed you a line of bullshit. Why would you kill somebody else for him?"

Merle's hand tightened on the wheel. Not saying a word.

The edge to Michonne's eyes softened, as she stared at him. "You know, we can go back."

Nye eagerly sat forward.

"Ain't happenin'." Merle shut down

"All of us." Michonne continued. "We can just go back."

"Rick will understand. _Daryl_ will understand. You'll be forgiven if you just turn the car around." Nye implored, leaned over and between the front seats.

Merle shook his head, frowning at the road ahead. "I can't go back." He said hoarsely. "Don't you understand that? I can't."

Nye's lips parted as she saw the tears welling up in Merle's eyes.

"Why?" Michonne whispered.

With that one word, Merle stepped on the brakes. Stopping the car. He took a breath, eyes flickering back and forth as he seemingly debated something with himself.

He appeared to have made a decision, as he reached over and cut Michonne's restraints.

Both woman stared at him in surprise, as he open the door for her.

"You go back with them. Get ready for what's next." He said tightly

Nye felt a sinking feeling in her torso.

Michonne stepped out of the car, brows furrowed in disbelief as Merle handed her her weapons.

"I got something...I got to do on my own."

Michonne stepped back, waiting for Nye to get out.

But the goggle wearing brunette, instead of getting out, climbed over the front seat. Taking Michonne's place in shotgun.

"The hell you doin'?" Merle demanded.

Nye shut the passenger side door, nodding to Michonne through the window. Before turning over to Merle. "You made it clear, that my only option is to help you. So let's go."

Merle scowled at her, but made no move to force her out. Probably knowing she would fight tooth-and-nail to stay.

When the car started to move once more, Nye rolled down her window, looking back at Michonne.

"Be safe getting back!"

The other woman nodded faintly, watching them drive away in shock.

Nye put on her seatbelt, leaning back and kicking her feet up on the dash.

Merle only sighed, picking up the speed.

After driving in silence for a few minutes, Nye finally said the thing she had been wanting to.

"She was wrong."

Merle's eyes never left the road. "'bout what?"

Nye watched him for a second, eyes soft. "About people not mourning you. She was wrong."

Merle visibly swallowed. "That so?"

"Mmhmm. Daryl's your brother, he would be destroyed if you died."

Turning her head to look out her window, she forced her next words to be spoken jokingly, though they were entirely true.

"As for me, I've always been a fan of redemption arcs. I'd hate to see yours end prematurely."

 _I would mourn you. I would mourn the man you have the potential to be._

Merle chewed his lip, before speaking hoarsely. "You're somethin' else, Shorty."

Nye ducked her head, twirling her knife in her hands. "...Niagara."

"Hmm?"

Nye looked to him, out of the corner of her eye. Before sitting up and staring at him head-on. "My name's Niagara."

Merle finally tore his gaze from the road, eyes locking with hers.

His head bobbed a couple times, before he swallowed, and looked back ahead. "Alright then. Niagara."

Nye smiled, head turning back to face her window.

There was a large part of Merle that wanted to kick her out of the car. Because he knew, deep down, that his brother would be just as, if not more, destroyed if he lost _her_. Merle wasn't blind like his brother and the girl next to him. He could see the _something_ there, that the two dense fools didn't, and probably wouldn't, see for a while.

Merle smiled so faintly, that it was barely even there, as he humored the thought, that at least he was able to get to know his future sister-in-law on this suicide mission. Before everything went to hell.

...

"Hey!" Daryl shouted, internally panicking as he saw Michonne walking his way.

"Where's are they?" He demanded. "You kill him? Where's Nye?"

Michonne sighed at the rapid-fire questions, stabbing the decapitated Walker head Merle had left behind. "He let me go."

Daryl swore inwardly, running past her. "Don't let anyone come after me!"

Michonne watched his back, putting her sword back in its sheath. "She chose to stay with him!"

Daryl slowed, looking back at her.

Michonne sighed again, but this time on behalf of the short brunette. "I think your brother's about to do something stupid. And I think Nye knew it too."

Daryl's shoulders stiffened as Michonne gave him a severe look.

"And I think... Nye's gonna do what it takes to get him back to you. Even at her own risk."

As she said it, he knew how true it was. Nye lost her brother a long time ago, and obviously wanted no one to ever have to feel that pain themselves.

Daryl spun around, booking it down the road even faster than before.

...

Outside of a liquor store, Merle and Nye sat in the car, sipping on whisky and scotch, respectively.

The windows were all open about an inch, as heavy metal rock music blared from the radio.

Over a dozen Walkers shambled over to the car, attracted by the music. Their undead fingers wingling through the windows' openings

While Nye grimaced at the sounds and smells surrounding the car, Merle chuckled darkly, holding the lip of his bottle up to a Walker's mouth that was pressed against the window.

After attracting almost two dozen, Merle finally started moving the car. Inching it forward a few feet, before stopping to let the Walkers catch up.

"We'll be there soon." Merle informed her, stopping the car for the sixth time.

Nye took another sip. "You gonna tell me the plan?"

Merle looked her over, an emotion she couldn't place swimming in his eyes.

"Don't die. That's your only job."

Nye frowned, looking him over suspiciously. "Then... what's yours?"

Merle didn't answer.

As they drove up to the feed plant, Nye felt anxiety fill her.

Distancing the car from the Walkers by a about ten feet, Merle grabbed his assault rifle, slashing Nye's seatbelt with his right arm.

"Tuck 'n roll!"

Following his orders without hesitation, Nye summersaulted out of the car. As the car continued to roll, music still attracting the Walkers, Nye chased after the elder Dixon, who had ran into the very building Rick and The Governor had their meeting in two days prior.

Once inside, the two started to hear The Governor's men shouting in alarm at the herd of Walkers they brought. And while they were distracted with handling the undead threat, they missed the living ones.

"You take the left side of the building, I'll take right!" Merle dictated, sniping a couple soldiers through a broken window.

Nye nodded, knowing he wouldn't see it. Her mouth opened before she could change her mind.

"Got it, Ranger!"

There was no telling why she chose to give him one of her nicknames that so few of her people got from her, but in the moment, it just felt right.

After running to the opposite side of the building, and crouching down near a broken window, Nye shot at the Woodbury soldiers. Though she couldn't bring herself to aim anywhere fatal. Just their legs and shoulders, so they couldn't fight back.

Out of nowhere, a Walker's snarl sounded from inside the building, followed by Merle's surprised shout.

Nye stood, moving to run back to the last place she saw him, but quickly had to drop to her knees, as the rest of the broken window exploded over her, showering her in glass.

She panted, asking herself if she really was insane enough to have agreed to all this.

Army crawling through the shattered glass, Nye hurried to her feet once in the clear, hearing Merle's pained shouts and grunts.

Her heart raced, and she began to panic, not remembering the way back through the maze of a building.

Seconds after hearing Merle shout hoarsely in agonizing pain, Nye rounded a corner, and felt herself freeze.

Merle and The Governor stood, both beaten and bloody. But Merle was much worse, having somehow lost two fingers on his remaining hand.

The elder Dixon spotted her, eyes screaming for her to run.

 _"Don't die. That's your only job."_

Nye's legs refused to move, but thankfully, The Governor hadn't spotted her yet as she stood behind him.

Her gun slowly raised to the back of his head, as Merle looked back to the deranged man, needing to keep him distracted.

"I ain't gonna beg." Merle snarled, spitting a glob of blood in the other man's direction. "I ain't beggin' you."

Nye's gun leveled with The Governor's dark hair, and her hands began to shake. Not in fear, but in anticipation, _because she was about to end it_.

The Governor lifted his own gun, aiming directly at Merle's heart.

Taking a deep breath, as everything felt as if in slow-motion, Nye squeezed her finger. Pulling the trigger.

 _'Click'_

Slowly, dawning dread expressed itself across both Nye and Merle's faces. As no matter how many times Nye pulled the trigger, nothing happened.

Because she was out of ammo.

The Governor turned and looked to her over his shoulder, eyes cold enough to make her bones tremble.

Nye's hand started to lower, as she realized she was now on the other end of The Governor's pistol, instead of Merle.

The elder Dixon lunged forward, eyes more desperate than she'd ever seen them.

" _Don't_ -"

 **Bang!**

Nye blinked, at first not feeling anything. But the horrified, and unstable look Merle was giving her, confirmed that something had indeed happened.

Her black pistol, which she cherished more than she'd ever let on, slipped out of her hand without consent. Clattering as it hit the floor.

Breathing feeling more shallow than she knew it should have, Nye slowly, and fearfully looked down.

She choked.

In the very center on her stomach, her white sweater had a bloom of bright, crimson red, already over the size of both her fists combined.

The almost neon looking red on the backdrop of white, made Nye's eyes burn the longer she looked at it.

For a long time, or what just felt that way, Nye almost couldn't accept she was overlooking her own body. But the intense, barbed, burning pain, like nothing she had ever experienced before, dragged her back down from her dream-like state.

The red spread faster, as Nye looked back up at Merle.

He watched her, a pained and guilt-ridden scowl etched into his face. When she whimpered, pain becoming unbearable, he snapped out of it, charging at The Governor.

" _You son of a_ -"

 **Bang!**

Nye screamed, as The Governor didn't hesitate, and put a bullet right through Merle's heart.

Face going slack, but somehow retaining his last look of anger, Merle dropped to the floor, face first. Dead.

Choking on tears for an entirely different reason than the pain, Nye looked down on Merle's body in shocked horror.

The Governor watched her impassively, gun aiming back on her.

Tears obscuring her vision, Nye looked down at the fuzzy form that was Merle's dead body. Knees finally collapsing under her, Nye squeaked pathetically, hands hovering uselessly over her gunshot wound.

As she stared up the barrel of The Governor's gun, Nye felt that special kind of fear. The one that could sometimes supply incredible feats of strength, or give you the last amount of brain power needed to solve your problem. The fear of eminent death.

Apathy was all she could glean from his eyes as he was seconds away from putting her down like a dog.

Then, a sick look twisted his face. And he lowered his gun. Leaving her, and then the building without a word of explaination.

Wide eyes, and the taste of bile and blood on the back of her tongue, Nye stayed stationary in her ever growing blood puddle.

Merle was face down a mere ten feet away, his own crimson stream coming from under his chest.

Panting through sobs, Nye looked back down at her stomach. Almost the entire front of her sweater was red now, which explained why she felt so cold.

All those months ago, when she gave blood to Carl, was nothing compared to this. Her frail heart worked over-time to keep her awake, but it couldn't last very long at the rate it was going.

Then, to make the blood stained situation worse, she heard Merle sigh throatily.

Moaning tearily, Nye threw her head back, chest spasming with restrained hiccups and whimpers.

Shakily, her right hand came up, the end of the sleeve tainted by blood, she struggled to pull her goggles down around her neck. Once they were there, she spun them around, so the strap was in the front.

Putting the aged leather in her mouth, and biting down on it, Nye began to scoot herself backwards, away from the turning Merle.

 _Don't die. That's my only job._

Grunts, and stifled wails left her muffled mouth, the skin of her gunshot being pulled horribly, in a way that made her dry-heave in pain.

A horror-movie type trail of blood followed her, startling her with how much blood she had already lost.

Her black pistol laid, to the side of the original crimson puddle.

Shuffling awkwardly in a sort of crabwalk, Nye headed to a door she had passed while looking for Merle.

Her eyes stung worse as she thought of the elder Dixon. And how Daryl was now without any biological family left.

Finally reaching the door, just as she heard Merle shifting to get up, Nye reached a blood soaked hand up to the handle, thrusting the door open.

Thankfully, the room was empty, void of any Walkers.

Crawling backwards into the room, Nye kicked the door closed as soon as she could. Never wanting to see another group member in the form of a Walker.

The leather fell out of her mouth as she made it to the middle of the room. Arms giving out, Nye's back slammed into the ground. Causing her to scream in agony.

Then, she was all alone. Wounded, bloody, and crying softly in pain and mourning. In a room were she might never be found.

Her hand came up over her mouth, and she wailed into it. Shoulders jerking, and breathing wet. As it hit her that, yes, she was most likely going to die.

Her eyes clenched shut as tightly as she could, imagining Mason and Toby, their smiles, and their laughs. She imagined them getting the news that she was gone, truly this time, with no miracle bringing her back.

Her mind offered her thoughts of the group too. How they all took her and her family in, becoming family in the process.

The more she though about it, the slower her sobs became, and the fewer the tears fell.

The pain in her stomach had numbed slightly by this point. And she would have taken note that that was a _very_ bad sign, if she wasn't so relieved that some of the pain was gone.

She stared blankly up at the ceiling, thinking about anything. Things she could have done differently, to things she knew were the right decision.

As her mind flickered to the old world, her hands slowly stopped applying pressure to her wound. Her right hand dropped down to her side, while her left laid limply on her stomach.

Hair splayed in a halo around her head, Nye blinked tearily, looking back on... _everything_.

Like... when the world was normal.

She thought about it a lot, actually, especially when thrusted into dire situations. She wondered how things would be, if the dead never started walking. She wondered if Mason and Toby would still be in her care, with her, officially their adopted mother once the forms went through. Or would something have happened, due to her immaturity. Leading them to be taken away from her.

Then, another thought hit her. The thought that, in a perfect, Walker-free world, she probably would have never met Daryl.

The very idea of that, made her eyes sting worse. And she was forced to face a truth, one that left her breathless.

She was grateful to the apocalypse.

Even through the cloud of excruciating pain she was in, she still couldn't help but be glad it happened. In a sick way the apocalypse gave her a better life than her past one. Hell, it gave her and her boys an actual family.

As the blood surrounding her started to cool and dry, she accepted it. Because that was all she could do. She accepted her death.

Her eyelids slid closed and a melancholy smile slowly grew on her face.

At least she made it as far as she did.

 _Sorry boys… Sorry Daryl._

...

Daryl grunted, thrusting his knife into Merle's face repeatedly. The sight of his brother as one of the undead brought him to tears for the first time in a long while.

Daryl threw himself off of Merle, finished in putting him down.

He leaned on his elbows, crying in anguish as he looked his brother's dead body over, seeing the gunshot that killed him. Panting, Daryl jerkily sat himself up, sniffling, and hands shaking.

For the short amount of time that Daryl had wrestled with his dead brother, he had forgotten completely, about the other half of his reason being there.

And as Daryl picked up his crossbow, sitting up on his knees, he remembered.

And he froze.

Her smile, her hair, her snorted laughter, her freckles, her _everything_. He remembered it, and he shot to his feet.

" _Niagara_!"

Daryl spun around, eyes landing on each Walker as a pit of dread replaced his stomach. With every Walker, there was another way Nye could be hurt.

Seeing all the undead in the vicinity was male, Daryl darted around, looking behind the silos, and behind hay-bails, hoping to see that she had just been hiding. When he could find no sign of her, his eyes locked on the building the meeting had been held.

A forboding, dark feeling filled him as he stared at it, and Daryl internally begged that she wasn't in there.

Kicking the door open, Daryl was immediately hit with a coppery smell.

Blood.

On the floor, there was a dripped trail, left by Merle after he reanimated. Daryl ran farther in, until he spotted a puddle of blood that the drips originated from.

And about ten feet away from that puddle, was an even bigger one, that lead its own trail farther into the building.

Daryl's legs locked up when he saw Nye's gun sitting in the puddle.

Head subconsciously shaking, he stumbled over, leaning down and picking up the wet gun.

Throat dry, Daryl struggled and failed to swallow down the lump in his throat, as well as the hitch in his breath.

Refusing to waste another second, despite what he feared he would find, Daryl dashed through the building, following the thick trail.

 _That's too much blood for her heart to handle._ The back of his mind unhelpfully whispered.

The trail ended at a door, the knob covered in blood.

Hesitating for what felt to him like an eternity, he stared at the door. He knew, that if he had to put Nye down too, right after Merle, he might not have the strength to go back to the prison, and face her two kids.

The blood felt cold, and wrong, as it got on his hand as he opened the door.

The scene that met him, made his crossbow slip from his fingers, as he numbly walked closer.

She laid there, silent and serene. Her face was lax, as if she were sleeping. But she was far too pale for that to be the explaination. Her chest was stationary, as was every other part of her.

He was too late. She was gone.

At that dark realization, Daryl felt like his heart fell down to his feet, and jumped up to his throat at the same time. His eyes welled up, and his breathing became erratic as he fought to make his cries silent.

He walked over to her, before dropping to his knees, staring down at her with overflowing guilt.

They hadn't even made up from the fight.

A wet snort escaped him, sounding deafening in the silence of the coppery smelling room.

...That wasn't right. She wasn't supposed to smell like blood, she was supposed to smell like peaches and daisies.

None of any of this was right.

She was supposed to be making immature jokes. She was supposed to be looking up at him in exasperation, asking him why he was "blubbering like a chick during shark week". She was supposed to be smiling that wide, toothy smile that made his stomach do that weird, flip thing. She was supposed to be looking up at him, with those wide, doe-like, forest green eyes, that turned a more blueish color when she was upset.

Those eyes were supposed to be open, like they were right now-

Green. Surrounded by thick lashes. Staring up at him foggily, as if not fully there. But trying to be.

Green eyes that were not tainted by milky white. _Because she wasn't dead_.

Frozen, and not daring to even breathe, for fear of somehow hurting her, Daryl watched her.

She blinked, slow, and blankly. As if she didn't know who he was, or what was happening.

But she was still white as a sheet, and her chest barely moved with each breath. So Daryl made himself start moving.

He pulled out his red rag he always had on him, and with trembling hands, tore off a long strip of fabric from the bottom of his shirt.

After clumsily folding his rag, and applying it firmly on her stomach, Daryl reached his arm under the small of her back, wrapping the strip of fabric all the way around, and tying it sturdily, keeping pressure on her wound.

Daryl sniffed, wiping the blood off of his hands onto his jeans. "Okay, Nye we gotta-"

When his eyes went back to her face, he paled.

Her eyes were shut. And she truly wasn't breathing anymore.

For a second he was stunned, not knowing what to do. But, then he remembered.

Over winter, Nye made it her job to drill basic medical protocol into everyone's heads. Making sure everyone knew how to do stitches, how to properly keep pressure on a wound, and how to preform CPR.

 _"Proper, and failed chest compressions," Nye had started with, looking up at Daryl specifically. "...Are the difference between a surviver, and a dead body."_

 _If my heart stops. Either do chest compressions. Or put me down._ Her eyes had implored him. So, Daryl followed and memorized her instructions carefully. Because he was still the only one who knew about her ailment. So that meant it was up to him.

Like right now.

Moving on autopilot, Daryl put both hands in the center of her chest, his right on top of his left.

 _"If you're strong, or doing them on a kid, it's easy to accidentally break someone's ribs from compressions. Especially in tense situations where you're running on adrenaline."_

Daryl started pumping his hands down, firmly, but not harshly. Keeping his strength in check.

 _"If you break their ribs, it's almost one hundred percent game over."_

Daryl counted the compressions under his hitching breath.

Nye had giving them all a faux sultry smile. _"Then, there's the fun part. Mouth to mouth."_

After doing the number of compressions Nye drilled into their heads, Daryl tipped her head back.

 _"Pinch the nose."_

He pinched her nose.

 _"And place your mouth firmly over theirs, and slowly blow two breaths."_

There was nothing sensual, or romantic about it as Daryl placed his mouth on hers. There was just his severe determination to get her heart beating again.

 _"After that, get back to compressions. Rinse, repeat. Any questions?"_

Daryl huffed, hands back on her chest as he _prayed_ for her to just start _breathing_ again.

"C'mon Sunshine. C'mon."

Tears started to block his vision the longer she remained still. And just when he moved to try more mouth to mouth, Nye's mouth opened on its own. As she finally started breathing again.

The shackles weighing him down loosened. Having wasted enough time, Daryl put his left arm under her limp legs, and his right behind her back. Standing, and carrying her bridal style for the third time in their friendship.

Nye moaned weakly in pain as he moved her, eyes barely opened.

Mentally apologizing profusely, Daryl ran out of the building, not having the time to carry her gently.

Taking her over to the car she and Merle drove, which had finally stopped playing music, Daryl put her in the passenger's seat, scowling as he saw the seatbelt was cut in half. Jumping in and getting the car to start up again, Daryl braced his arm over her chest, keeping her still as he drove out of there fast enough to make the tires squeal.

With a resolve stronger than any he had ever had before, Daryl swore to himself, to Nye, and to Mason and Toby, that he was going to get her back to the prison alive.

He would never forgive himself if he didn't.

...

Everyone in the prison rushed outside as several rapid honks of a car horn sounded. Carl and Glenn dashed down to the gate, pulling it open a second before Daryl barreled through it.

The black mustang screeched to a stop, as Daryl flung his door open, darting to the other side.

"Nye's hurt! Where's Hershel?!"

As Daryl carried her out of the car, running into the prison without waiting for a response, everyone paled at the blood covering Nye and her car seat.

Everyone followed him in, grim and wordless.

"Glenn get our med supplies! Carl roll over the trolley! And someone keep Mason and Toby back!" Rick ordered, spurring everyone into action.

Hershel limped over as Carl brought the metal trolley over. Daryl gently set her down, noting darkly how she looked like she was made of porcelain.

"Mom!"

"Holy shit!"

Maggie and Michonne rushed and intercepted Mason and Toby before they could get to Nye.

"Maggie let go! What happened!?" Toby struggled in her grip, panting and whimpering at how bloody Nye looked.

Mason had to practically be put into a headlock by Michonne to keep him from launching himself to his mother.

"My Dad's handlin' it! You don't need to see this!" Maggie implored, forcefully hugging Toby to her.

Nye was rolled into the room outside of the cell-block, keeping her out of sight of her kids, as Glenn returned with the needed medical supplies.

Hershel removed Daryl's improvised bandaging, and lifted up her soaked sweater, revealing her gunshot wound. It was an inch above her belly button, and roughly three centimeters to the left. The hole itself was made up of torn skin, and gunpowder burns.

Hershel reached his right hand under her back, feeling around before shaking his head.

"There's no exit wound, we need to dig it out. And she needs blood as soon as possible."

"What's her blood type?" Glenn panted.

"O negative." Rick answered darkly, remembering from the time she gave some to Carl.

"Are you serious!? That's the rarest one!" Glenn shouted, hand coming up to his hair.

Rick looked to Daryl. "Go ask everyone their blood types!"

The archer ran out of the room, shoes sliding against the concrete floor. Everyone was thankfully all standing together around Mason and Toby in the cell-block, which meant he didn't have to go searching for anybody.

"Who's O negative!?"

Everyone shared looks with the people around them, their dire expressions made it clear that no one had the right type.

Until Mason wiggled himself out of Michonne's slackened grip. "I am!"

When Daryl brought Mason to the vet, the old man frowned deeply, not liking the idea of taking blood from Mason while he was healing. But they had no choice.

"Maggie, get ready to hook them up." Hershel told his daughter, as he picked up a pair of metal surgical prongs.

While the farmer's daughter stuck the needle into Mason (who was too concerned about Nye to freak out over it) Hershel looked to Daryl, Rick, and Glenn.

"Rick, I need you to hold her legs down. Glenn hold her middle steady. And Daryl, keep her arms restrained."

Each man followed their respective order, though they all looked sick to varying degrees.

As she was completely held down, Nye remained unresponsive as Hershel began to stick the long prongs inside her.

They started to fall under the impression that she wasn't going to react to it, until Hershel finally reached the bullet, and began removing it.

Her head flew back, banging against the metal trolley as she started screaming in agony. Her legs spasmed and jerked as Rick tried keeping them stationary. The muscles of her midriff tensed and rolled under Glenn's iron-clad grip. Her arms were crossed like an X over her chest, the redneck keeping them still, as she swung her head back and forth, scream never ceasing.

"Keep her steady!" Hershel ordered urgently, still pulling the bullet out.

Mason cried softly in the background as Maggie sombrely filled an IV bag with his blood.

Her scream started to turn hoarse, breaking off as she took gulping breaths of much needed air.

A tear rolled down Daryl's nose, landing on her tensed neck.

In between her screams, Nye's eyes fluttered open, lashes heavy with tears. Her tunnel vision locked onto Daryl's sorrowful expression, targeted at her.

Her screams trickled off into choked grunts as Hershel almost had the bullet out.

Brows furrowing faintly at his look, Nye looked Daryl over as she felt guilt for some unknown reason. Her, lips parted as she whispered,

"'m sorry."

Daryl stiffened, moving to tell her that there was nothing to apologize for, but her eyelids had already fell shut once again.

As Nye's body went lax, they all looked up at the vet in panic.

Hershel slowly, and carefully pulled the bullet through the hole, before dropping it and the prongs on a nearby table. "She's just unconscious. But she needs blood, or I fear she won't wake up."

"Here." Maggie rushed over, handing him the almost full IV bag.

"I feel fine, I can give more!" Mason declared.

The vet sighed, spotting how Mason's complexion was already a few shades lighter. But in the specific endeavor they were currently in, Nye needed the blood, or else she would die.

"Glenn, take Mason and get him something sugary to eat. Maggie, can you set up Niagara's IV?"

Maggie nodded quickly, rolling up Nye's left sleeve and inserting the needle.

A soft, yet dreadful silence filled the room, only minutes after Nye's deafening screams. No one dared to even breathe too loud, watching the tiny brunette as her eyes stayed resolutely shut.

Glenn came back shortly, bringing with him Mason, who was devouring several stale Hostess snacks, and Toby, who's sleeves were wet from the amount of times he had rubbed his eyes with them.

Rick sighed warily, breaking the silence. "This... this doesn't change the plan. It can't."

"Rick." Hershel appealed. "She's in no state to be moved."

Rick stiffened, trying to rain in his emotions regarding their nurse. "The Governor's on his way right now. We don't have time to argue this."

"Like hell we do." Daryl growled, standing at Nye's side. "We ain't movin' her."

Rick clenched his teeth, running his hand down his face, before looking to everyone deeply. "I'm not happy about this either. But, it's what we have to do." He sighed, seeing he wasn't swaying many people. "She'll be with Hershel and the kids. Riding in the back of the truck while strapped down so she won't be jostled."

"He's right, it's what we have to do." Toby lamented, getting looks from the others in the room. "We can't leave her here in the prison. She'll be in ever more danger than outside."

Rick, Hershel, and the kids all looked to Daryl, waiting for his approval on the plan.

Daryl bit into his lip hard enough it started to bleed, but he paid no mind to it. "...We do this, we gotta do it right. She ain't gettin' hurt any worse."

Rick nodded, looking relieved. "Of course."

"We'll take care of her." Toby declared, Mason at his side, nodding agreeingly.

Daryl looked back down to her, eyes drinking in the almost broken looking sight of her. And he realized that no one had asked about Merle.

But, his silence on his brother's presence probably clued them in.

Then, Daryl couldn't help but wonder, if Merle had seen Nye get shot. Or, what had they even talked about on the way to The Governor's ambush? And what had his brother thought of her?

Daryl had a feeling, that Nye might have grown on Merle. He wasn't sure why he had the hunch, but he'd like to believe that his brother, and closest friend, had put aside their differences before it all ended.

What Daryl didn't know, what Nye didn't know, what _no one_ knew, was that the last thing that had flown through Merle's mind before being killed, was the harsh and biting feeling that every older sibling or parent felt at some point or another. That evolutionary instinct of guardianship, to protect the people you care for. The people that matter.

The people who had become your family.


	27. Memory lane

**Did I just accidentally write a totally original chapter exactly 7,740 words long? Oops.**

 **Btw, I got a job! Sorry in advance about the updating schedule, it's about to go off the rails.**

 **Anyway, have some Naryl and angst! (I promise not all of their relationship development will be shrouded in angst. Just wait 'til we reach Alexandria ;D)**

* * *

 _October. When the leafs really started changing, as the crisp and cool air moves in. Nye always had a soft spot for it, because of the beautiful reds, oranges, and yellows. All in all, Fall was a breathtaking season._

 _A single brown, and brittle leaf fluttered down, swaying in the air almost as if dancing, before landing on a certain gravestone._

 _...But Nye didn't like October anymore. Because it was on October 6th, that she had to watch Shepherd be buried._

 _Many people had come to the funeral. But they weren't family, or friends. They were random people who saw the headlines, and decided to make themselves feel better by encroaching on something they had no right being at._

 _The newspaper article fuelled it all, declaring to Georgia that a poor, lonely, foster child, with no family, had been beaten to death with a beer bottle._

 _Everyone had assumed that there was no family there, because of that damn article. So when Nye screamed at the top of her lungs, for every asshole who didn't know Shepherd's name before he was on the news, to get the fuck out, people were surprised._

 _In the end, she was the only one left there. And after that day, Nye hadn't found the strength to go back to the cemetery._

 _Until now._

 _That little brown leaf slid, and scratched across the top of the stone slab. Before fluttering away._

 _Nye's hands were stuffed deep into her black coat's pockets. She wore black leggings, and black boots. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and her eyes were shrouded in dark eyeshadow_ _to finish it off._

 _She refused to show up in anything colorful._

 _For almost an hour, she stood, staring at the piece of stone that was meant to represent him. Not a word was said, until she heard thunder rolling in the distance._

 _It appeared there was no more time left to stall._

 _"Hey..."_

 _Nye lethargically kicked up a few leafs. "You're probably thinking I lost my mind or something, for talking to you. But... It's been a year, on the dot, and..."_

 _The twenty year old sighed, looking up at the dark clouds above. Her eyes watered, and she felt more helpless than she had in a long time._

 _"I... I need you. I need to talk to you."_

 _Her eyes settled back on the gravestone, rereading the top engraving._

Shepherd Daniels.

 _"I feel... Lost. I'm living with a friend. I'm acing school. I haven't seen my dad since I left. But... none of it matters, because you're not here."_

 _With a long exhale, Nye stared down to her feet. "I... I need a sign. I need you to tell me what I should be doing. Because right now, I feel completely useless. So, please, just... I need a sign,_ right now _." Her voice cracked._

 _Leafs continued to fly on by, unperturbed by the stationary woman in their way._

 _Nye nodded as she got no response, body relaxing as she let out the breath she had been holding. Smiling sadly, Nye gave a mock salute._

 _"Okay... I'll see you later Squirt."_

 _The leafs crunched under her boots as she walked away, a sound she used to love._

 _Thunder rolled again, followed by a light drizzle of rain._

 _Not caring that she was getting wet, Nye sat down down on one of the cemetery's benches, elbows on her knees as she hung her head._

 _No one else was around, so she took the moment to let out a few tears._

 _But, as they dropped to the dead grass between her legs, Nye spotted a random piece of paper lying there in front of her. It looked like some type of pamphlet, as the pages swung side to side with the breeze._

 _For some reason, the pamphlet seemed almost enticing. Like, as if there was some form of higher power whispering for her to take it._

 _She didn't know what it was, but there was a large pit of anticipation swirling in her stomach the longer she stared at it, debating on picking it up._

 _Then, with a particularly strong gust of wind, the pamphlet became airborne, fluttering away._

 _Before she knew it, Nye jumped out of the bench, tripping over herself in her haste. Just before it could fly up too high, Nye snatched it out of the air, pulling it securely to her chest._

 _Heart racing, Nye slowly looked down as she flipped the pamphlet over, reading the cover._

 _The words at the top were big, and bold, all around eye-catching. And as Nye read the words, she gasped softly._

 _A slow growing smile spread across her face, eyes welling with tears, this time because Shepherd had answered. He gave her a sign._

 _As she reread the words, Nye's smile became a grin, new resolve filling her._

"Follow these easy steps to become a foster parent!"

...

Nye was never a heavy sleeper nowadays. Unless she just exhausted herself over something, all you needed to do to wake her up was call her name. But being unconscious, is much different than being asleep.

It was three whole days before she stirred. In those three days, the group busied themselves with welcoming in the people of Woodbury who were still alive.

Shifts had been taken up as a result of everyone suddenly having to help clear out more room in the prison, as well as train the new people.

At any given time, you could find the kids, Daryl, Glenn, and Hershel keeping watch over Nye. Sometimes it was all of the above. Mason and Toby had moved their mattresses back into her room, and had been sleeping in there with her.

It was the middle of the day when her eyes finally cracked open.

Everything was fuzzy, and muted to her at first. For awhile, she couldn't remember where she was, or what happened. But as she became aware of the throbbing, and weighted feeling in her stomach, it slowly started coming back.

A loud metal squeal startled her, and as she looked to her right, she saw Daryl, sitting up in his metal chair, watching her.

After a few owlish blinks, Nye furrowed her brows. She opened her mouth, and moved to sit up.

A chain rattling, and the feeling of confinement on her right wrist made her pale.

Shooting up, blind to the pain that surged in her stomach as a result, Nye threw her body away from the metal post that was to the right of her pillow. The handcuff held firm, as they always did, and Nye felt that sickeningly familiar pull on her shoulder as she tried getting as far away from the post as possible.

"D-Daryl! Get i-it o-o-off! _Daryl_!"

As soon as she had shot up, he had been moving to unlock the cuffs, but the terrified desperation in her voice made him work faster.

He had never heard her sound so scared before. Scratch that, she sounded on the verge of a panic attack. And it made him feel nauseated to hear her like that.

Steadying her wrist, Daryl slipped the key in, and turned it. The cuff was pulled open, and the second it was off of her, she was on the other side of the bed. The way she watched the cuffs, as if they were an aggressor, ready to lunge right at her, made him quickly unlock the other one, pulling it out of sight.

Her breathing shaky, she never looked away from the bedpost. "W-why... why w-was that on me?"

Daryl swallowed at the hint of betrayal in her voice. "Rick did it... just in case."

Nye nodded, though she looked dazed while doing so.

As he watched her carefully, he noticed how she tore up her wrist in all her pulling. Though, it was like she didn't even realize it. Instead she rubbed harder at the broken skin, smearing the blood, and assuredly making the pain worse. But it was like she was in a trance, trying to rub away the skin the handcuffs had touched.

He had a sinking feeling he knew what her scars were from.

Suddenly, Nye winced, dropping her wrist as her eyes cleared. Her left hand now coming down over her stomach.

Nye frowned, staring off into space. "I don't... why does my stomach hurt?"

Before he could stop her, she lifted up the bottom of her shirt, spotting the bulky bandage.

In her struggle, she apparently reopened it, evidently made obvious by the slowly spreading red patch in the middle.

"I..." Nye started, but slowly trailed off as it all came back to her in what felt like an ice-bucket being dumped over her head.

Daryl could see the exact moment it hit her, as her eyes widened, pupals shrinking to the size of pinpricks.

What he didn't expect to see, was tears quickly filling her eyes, as she shrunk into herself, unable to look up at him.

"I'm sorry... _I'm so sorry_." She moaned pitifully, shoulders jerking.

Daryl's breath stalled. " _Don't_ -"

Nye forcefully shook her head. "No. I went with him to h-help, and it _didn't work_."

Instead of arguing verbally, Daryl gently pushed her down onto her back, moving her hand away from her stomach. He knew she wouldn't believe anything he told her, as she too, had her own guilt complex. So he would have to make it clear to her in other ways, that he, in no way, blamed her.

She sniffled, tears spilling over and rolling down into her hair. The sight of it made Daryl bite his lip, wanting to comfort her, but unsure of how.

But he knew two people who he bet could do the job.

"I'mma be right back." He murmured, waiting a second for her response.

All she did was nod, staring up at the top bunk.

When he was gone, Nye clenched her eyes shut, burning the memory of her and Merle in the car, into her mind. Not wanting to ever forget how he had grinned at her. And the way he proudly said her name. Or how she had impulsively called him "Ranger", in return.

Nye's chest jerked as she held in a hiccup. She was right. She did mourn him.

A stampede of footsteps raced to the entrance of her cell, and when she saw the relieved and eager looks on Mason and Toby's faces, she felt a bit lighter.

After they ran in, carefully helping her sit up, before throwing caution to the wind and hugging her fiercely, Hershel hobbled over, eyeing her critically.

"Are you okay?" Toby worriedly asked, eyes on her middle.

Nye smiled mirthlessly, nodding to reassure them. "Yeah."

"Daryl said you're bleeding again." Mason added.

Too tired to do anything more than nod again, Nye looked up at Hershel, lifting her shirt back up.

Mason and Toby moved off the bed, letting her lay back down. That was when she noticed everyone else standing right outside her cell. All watching her in relief, and at the same time, concern.

Carol immediately caught on to the uncomfortable look on Nye's face at the audience. Clapping her hands, she ushered people away. "Let's give them some privacy."

Glenn hesitated before leaving. And Carl looked ready to argue, but Rick pulled him away.

"Thanks Care-bear." Nye whispered to Carol.

The short haired woman grinned, fighting off full-on beaming at the nickname, and instead gave her a simple thumbs-up.

While Hershel was cleaning, then rebadaging her gunshot, Nye was caught up on everything. Including Andrea's death.

When Daryl softly gave her the news, all Nye did was close her eyes, internally filing the loss away for a time when she wasn't so emotionally depleted.

The news of the people of Woodbury now living in the prison gave Nye pause. But Daryl was quick to assure her that no one they took in, was part of the team she and Merle ambushed. It helped appease her, that Tyreese and Sasha were among the people let in.

Then, she found out about how Mason gave blood, despite being injured himself. Before she could even consider chastising him, he told her, point-blank, that he would do it again. No matter what she was about to say.

She chose to squeeze his hand in silent thanks.

For the rest of the day, Nye laid there, listening to the faint sound of voices coming from somewhere else in the prison. Hershel had told her that she was going to be on bed-rest for awhile, so Mason and Toby finally moved all their stuff into her cell.

While the two were gone getting their things, Nye looked up at Daryl, having vaguely remembered something.

A repeated pressure on her chest, his voice, a warm pressure on her...

Nye's face erupted into a vibrant red, as she quickly tore her gaze away from him.

But, the thing that was sticking out the most, was his voice. Something tickled the back of her mind, as if there was something it wanted her remembering.

Then, it rang like a bell. And she looked back over to him.

"...You called me "Sunshine"."

Nye watched in satisfaction as it was his turn to blush.

He shifted from foot to foot, ducking his head. Unable to come up with a response, he nodded outside the cell.

"'m gonna... check up on things."

Nye smiled, watching as he hastily left. And while she was sad to see him go, she'd be lying if she said seeing him so flustered wasn't adorable.

Besides, seeing him walk away gave her the perfect opportunity to get an eyeful of his a-

Nye's eyes widened and the blush came back even darker than before.

 _When, **the fuck** , did I start thinking Daryl was sexy!?_

And suddenly, she shivered... Which led to the dawning realization that _that_ , was what the shiver meant.

...And _that_ meant, she must have been thinking it for awhile now.

When Mason and Toby walked back into the cell, they found her with her pillow over her face.

She demanded they do not ask questions.

...

Two weeks passed, in which Nye spent her time playing guitar, and boardgames with the kids (though Glenn, Maggie, Daryl, and Michonne joined in at times) But every few hours, she was allowed to get up, and move around. Only if she didn't push it.

Multiple times it was suggest that she move to a lower cell, but Nye always shot them down. Already fond of her room.

The few times she went outside, Nye got to meet the new people one by one. Sasha and Tyreese, however, definitely remembered her, and made quick work of apologizing on behalf of Woodbury. Especially after finding out The Governor was the reason she got shot.

Speaking of The Governor. Nye hated him now, more than ever.

Because Daryl and Michonne made it their job to track him down, and kill him. So on top of everything else, Nye had been seeing less and less of the two.

But she could understand both their reasoning. Daryl lost Merle, and Michonne lost Andrea because of that monster.

(Nye was clueless to the fact that her being shot was another large cause for Daryl's rage towards The Governor.)

It was almost a full month of peace in the prison, when something finally went wrong.

For the first time in what felt like forever, Nye had a nightmare about the furnace.

It was probably triggered by recent events, but it was the same as it always was.

She would wake up, in the dark and empty room. Her right wrist already chained to the hulking piece of metal. She would pull, then tug, then try and rip herself away from it, hard enough to dislocate her shoulder. Something that had actually accured in reality, too many times. Her wrist would bleed, but she wouldn't care. Her shoulder would burn, but she wouldn't care. She would tear away strips of her own skin with her other hand, desperate for release, but she wouldn't care.

All she cared about, all that mattered in those moments, was getting out.

She was always pulled out of the dream out of nowhere. One second she was there, and the next she was panting in her bed, staining the sheets in her blood. And this was no special occasion.

She sat up, ignoring the burn in her stomach, and instead stared down at her right arm.

There were four brand-new bloody streaks running down her arm. And she grimaced at the sight of skin under her left hand fingernails.

Carefully getting out of bed, stepping strategically over Mason and Toby's sleeping forms, she meandered downstairs, locating the med-kit, and sitting down at one of the tables with it.

As she dabbed disinfectant over the scratches, she thought back to that room. To that house.

She hadn't thought about it in a long time, but as she sat there, her mind wandered to a Georgia map they had found on a run during winter. On the map, Nye had subconsciously tracked the roads to her old neighborhood.

She knew where it was. And it wasn't that far.

For some reason unknown, she felt like she needed to hop in a car, and go there.

As she was bandaging her arm, she slowly figured out why.

Closure. She wanted closure. And if that meant driving forty minutes just to burn the house down, she would do it. Anything to stop the nightmares.

So, with a deep resolve, she grabbed her gear as quietly as she could. Putting on a jacket, slipping on her shoes, and making sure her gun was loaded, she turned to the door.

"What're you doin'?"

Nye squeaked, dropping her keys on accident, and wincing at the sound, made to seem much louder by the silence.

Reluctantly cracking an eye open, Nye smiled crookedly at Daryl as he watched her with narrowed eyes.

"I'm... going on an adventure."

Daryl scoffed. "Not a chance. Get back in bed."

Nye pursed her lips, picking up her keys. "Look, there's something I gotta do. And I'm doing it. You can't stop me."

"I could get Rick."

Nye scowled. "You do that, and I'll hide your crossbow."

Daryl sighed through his nose, before nodding down to the med-kit sitting open on the table. "What happened?"

Nye knew he was trying to distract her, but she'd humor him. "Got in a fight with a honey badger."

Daryl gave her an unamused look.

"Are you gonna let me go now?"

Daryl bit his lip (something Nye was definitely _not_ turned to mush by, thank you) and took a glance to her bag of supplies.

After another moment of hesitation, Daryl turned back around, going up the stairs.

"Stay here."

Nye rolled her eyes, shouldering her bag.

When Daryl came back down, he had his leather jacket on, and crossbow over his shoulder.

"Let's go."

Nye smiled at him softly. "Okay. We gotta hurry before-"

"Where are you going?"

Nye winced again, looking up at the top of the stairs.

Mason's curls were out of control, and he had a trail of dried drool down his chin. Toby's left cheek was red, from where he had been resting it on his hand, and not an article of clothing on him was unwrinkled.

It was Toby who had asked the question, sounding scared.

Mason glared at her. "You can't go anywhere. You're hurt."

Nye tried giving them a placating smile. "Boys, I have to. I'll be fine-"

"You always say that!" Toby hissed. "And it's never true!"

"Boys-"

"First you got left behind. Then you almost broke your arm. Then you fell in a lake. Then you got _shot_!" Mason listed off in a hushed shout.

Nye stepped closer to the stairs, looking up at them. "Okay, I know I've messed up. And I'm sure I will again. But _please_ ," She whispered pleadingly. "If you let me do this _one_ thing, I'll never leave again, unless Rick _explicitly_ asks me."

The two brothers glanced to each other, internally debating it.

"If you two could go fix something you thought would always be broken, you would take the opportunity, right?"

That seemed to be the last nail in the coffin, as both boys gave her incredibly reluctant nods.

"You promise you won't go on anymore impromptu runs?" Toby clarified one more time.

Nye beamed at them. "I _swear_."

Toby sagged in relief, while Mason smiled shyly. Both seemingly appeased for the moment.

After one more hushed assurance, the two let Nye and Daryl go, promising to keep quiet until someone noticed their absence.

As they watched the two adults leave, they sat on the steps. Toby turned to Mason, looking thoughtful.

"Remember when we had to scheme to get them to spend time together?"

Mason nodded, head on his hand. "Yup."

Toby looked down, brows scrunched together as a new, foreign thought hit him. "You don't think... if they keep spending time together, they'll, you know..."

Mason raised a confused brow. "They'll what?"

Toby's cheeks flushed faintly, and he shook his head. "Nah, nevermind. There's no way it would happen."

But as he said it, Toby didn't believe that to be true. Not with the way they acted towards each other.

Toby sighed, lamenting the fact that they both unknowingly dug themselves so far down in the friendzone, that it would be awhile before one of them surfaced, and got a good harsh slap in the face from reality.

He was honestly afraid it was going to take another incident like Nye getting shot, for it to happen.

...

One of Daryl's conditions for letting Nye do this, was making her ride shotgun, while he drove.

It was a clear sign of how close they were, that Nye tossed him Pumpkin's keys without a second thought.

As they drove, and the sun started to rise, she still refused to tell him where they were going. She only ever broke the silence to tell him which way to go. The huge map sat on her lap, only a portion of it unfolded.

Her neighborhood wasn't on the map by name, but a tiny blue squiggle representing her creak, and the tiny elementary school within walking distance of a cluster of houses, was all she needed.

The closer they got, the heavier her stomach felt. And for the first time that morning, she started to doubt the plan.

But all the whispers to turn back, disappeared into an ominous silence, when Daryl turned the corner, and there it was.

An old, crooked street sign. Rusted and weathered, but not important enough to be replaced by a new one.

(Her neighborhood always made sure to drill into her head, that if you grew up there, you weren't important enough.)

The greying letters still stood out though. Filling her with a strange combination of nausea, and nostalgia.

 **Kirkman St**

Nye swallowed dryly, as Daryl followed her whispered instructions to turn left.

He seemed able to tell that this was the place, as he slowed Pumpkin slightly.

Her eyes ran over the houses on the right hand side, counting them breathlessly in her head.

 _Six, seven, eigh-_

There it was.

Her belt buckle zipped, retracting up as Nye flicked her wrist, unbuckling and flinging her door open at the same time.

Daryl shouted something after her, stopping the van as she ran down the cracked sidewalk.

It didn't even cross her mind to pull a weapon out.

Panting, coming to a stop in front of an old, chipped, navy painted wooden fence, Nye shakily raised a hand to open it.

"Nye!"

She jumped, looking to her right, as Daryl saddled up next to her, staring at her harshly for running off.

She closed her mouth, almost feeling like if she talked, someone from her past would hear her.

Daryl softened, seeing the paleness to her cheeks, and trembling in her hands.

With a deep breath, Nye pushed the creaky door open. Revealing the shit-storm that was the front-yard, just as she remembered. What little grass there was, was long dead, and the few water sprinklers they had, were broken back when the Conners had first moved in.

Nye drifted through the entrance, sidestepping the knarly nail sticking out as a doorstop. She had three straight scars going across her left arm, from times she had ran out of the house, and brushed past the nail. It was a miracle she never got tetanus.

There was a concrete sidewalk leading up, through the yard and to the porch. The concrete was cracked in more places than it wasn't. The steps uneven, grass and weeds took the opportunity to grow through the cracks, before dying.

Daryl noticed how Nye almost danced down the short sidewalk, not stepping on a single crack or weed. When he looked up, he saw she wasn't even watching where she was stepping. It was all muscle-memory.

Likewise, as she walked up the wooden porch steps, she did an intricate pattern in where she put her feet, not making a sound. When Daryl stepped up, the places she avoided creaked noisily.

He didn't like the fact she made herself learn how to enter and exit the house quietly, to the point that it was all muscle-memory now. Rather, he didn't like what it said about her childhood.

There was an old and rickety bench swing on their right, swinging squeakily with the breeze. Nye paused, eyes going to, and tracing all the cigarette burns on the left armrest, like someone had had a habit of smoking on the bench, but always forgot to bring an ashtray.

To his surprise, and relief, Nye smiled fondly at the burns.

But, Nye forced herself away from the bench, instead focusing on the front-door.

Not even bothering to try to open it first, Nye pulled out a few bent bobby-pins, crouching down and sticking them in the keyhole. It took all of three seconds for her to get it unlocked.

When she turned the knob, pushing the door open, Daryl raised his crossbow.

Instead of pulling out a weapon and carefully checking the house for Walkers, Nye marched in, empty-handed.

Immediately, she was hit with the smell of nicotine, the easily identifiable smell having seeped into the walls and carpet long ago, staining everything a dingy yellow.

It was one of the only things she loved about the house. The nostalgic smell of Nana's cigarettes.

The house itself was a disaster in its structure. It was as if it had once been a tiny shack, that a random constructer decided to add a few rooms to. Then another rando came along, and added some more.

The result being, the floors were all insanely uneven, and in some spots, there were gaps were the new stuff didn't even try to be attached to the old. All the carpets were different, but the walls matched for the most part, which somehow made it worse. And Nye was pretty sure it had been a frat house before her family bought it, to top it all off.

Jaw clenched, Nye veered right, heading down a long, sloped hallway.

The way she navigated the house, proved it to Daryl that she had to have lived here at some point.

There were four rooms down the hallway, two on the left, one on the right, and one on the end.

Nye entered the one on the right first.

Inside, there was the minimum of needed furniture. A queen sized bed with grey sheets, an old wooden dresser, and a hamper full of clothes.

Nye made a b-line for the dresser, nodding for Daryl to open the closet.

"...He keeps his guns on the top shelf."

Daryl paused, waiting for her to say anything else, as she she dug around in the dresser for something specific.

When she stayed quiet, Daryl opened the closet, pulling out the two shotguns stored at the top.

The dresser squeaked as Nye jerked the last drawer open, becoming desperate to find-

Her fingers touched something slick and thin lying among the clothes. As she pulled it out, Nye gasped silently as she saw the picture she had hoped to find.

She understood now, why everyone used to say she looked just like Beverley.

The girl in the picture was grinning maniacally, clearing enjoying whatever kind of stunt she was pulling on the person behind the camera. Everything between the mother and daughter was the same, except for the hair, and eyes. Beverley's eyes were a crystal blue, so light they almost looked like contacts, and her hair was a dirty blonde, done up in a high and messy pony-tail.

What really got Nye though, was the grease stains on her cheeks, and old fashioned goggles on top of her head. Goggles Nye had knicked right out from under Martin's nose when she ran away.

A shadow moved over her shoulder, but Nye didn't move. Letting Daryl take a look at the picture.

A soft inhale told Nye that Daryl indeed recognized the goggles.

Biting the inside of her cheek, Nye put the photo away in her pocket. The picture was only part of the reason they were there.

Leaving the room, Nye kicked in the door across from her father's. What used to be her old room, was nothing more than storage now. And she was honestly unbothered by his choice to fill her room and pretend she never existed.

If he didn't want kids, he should have used a condom. Or better yet, he shouldn't have manipulated a teenage girl into having sex.

Seeing there was nothing worth going through in there, Nye finally turned to the one at the end of the hallway. The only other door was the bathroom, and going in there was pointless, so there was no more dawdling.

The knob felt cold in her sweaty hands, and Nye could already tell the rusted thing was going to leave her hand smelling like metal. The door gave a shred of resistance, before swinging open. Dust-mites flew around, and the smell of copper was emitting strongly from the small room.

There were no windows to let the light in, but Nye already knew what was hiding in the darkness. As her eyes adjusted, she saw the furnace for the first time in over a decade.

And... it was different.

Nye's brows furrowed as she took a small step into the room, looking over the metal structure in disbelief.

It was... small.

She remembered it being hulking. A monstrous beast made of metal, that would growl and snarl at her in winter. She remembered how she couldn't even look at the heater in her apartment, as it reminded her of the thing that tormented her childhood. She remembered how it would pull her in by the cuffs, taunting her as it tightened the metal band around her wrist.

But now, all it looked like to her, was a plain, rusted chunk of metal. No taller than she was.

As her eyes travelled down, they landed on a piece of silver. There, dangling off of a bent, and chipped pipe, was an aged pair of handcuffs.

Nye shuddered, having half-expected them to be gone.

Under where they hung, the uncarpeted concrete floor had a massive stain of dark red. Years of her ripping her wrist and arm open, led to puddles and puddles of blood to drip, and inevitably dry on the floor.

The cuffs themselves were worn down. The one attached to the pipe, had thin spots throughout, where Nye had rubbed it against the pipe for years in an attempt to get out. The one that always went around her wrist, faired a bit better structurally. But nevertheless, it looked worse, do to the caked on, dried blood.

Nye was filled with a sick, and twisted form of nostalgia. Not the kind that makes you feel comforted by the good memories. But instead made you feel cold, reliving the bad ones.

Daryl looked between her, and the metal cuffs. Anger and sympathy filling him as everything clicked.

Taking another step into the tiny, closet-like room, Nye took her wrench in hand. staring venomously at the cuffs.

With a high arching swing, Nye brought her wrench down onto the pipe.

Hit after hit, Nye grunted, as she worked to destroy the thing that made her a victim.

After about a dozen strikes, the top piece of her monkey wrench broke off, hitting the ground. Nye paid it no mind, continuing to beat her anger into the pipe.

The pipe slowly started to cave in, making a V sort of shape, before finally breaking in half.

With the gap in the middle, the handcuffs slid down, slipping through and clattering to the floor.

Nye panted, wincing and putting a hand to her stomach.

Daryl surged forward, watching her as she nonchalantly hooked the broken wrench on her belt, and moved to leave.

"You good?"

Nye opened her mouth, and reached up to her goggles, trying find any words that were worth the effort to say. But anything on her mind was thrown out of the window, as there was a breathy groan coming from farther into the house.

Brushing passed as Daryl lifted his crossbow, Nye ran out of the hallway, through the barren kitchen, and into the living-room.

At the angle she stood, the first thing Nye saw was Martin's favorite recliner, positioned right in front of the old box TV. Just as she remembered it.

Beer bottles and cans were scattered around his chair, as well as miscellaneous wrappers. Nye took a step, and another groan came from his chair.

At some point she had stopped breathing, as a thin and pale arm flopped into view over the left armrest. She moved slow, not daring to make a sound as she reached the recliner. Over the top, she saw a balding head of white hair.

Daryl watched her, crossbow trained on the thing in the recliner.

Lips parting, Nye stepped a foot back, raising her leg and placing her boot on the back of the chair. Wrench high and ready, Nye forced her leg down, bringing the chair onto its back as it toppled over.

The air left her in sporadic bursts, when the Walker in the chair looked up at her, reaching with its frail arms.

It was closer to a skeleton than a corpse. Clearly not having eaten any people after its demise. Jaw languidly snapping up at her, the Walker groaned wheezily again.

Nye stepped off the chair, arms dropping down as she stared at him. Her broken monkey wrench was hooked back on her belt, as she crouched down, passively studying the Walker.

Daryl stood back, ready to put down the Walker if it got an inch closer to her.

Nye, for her part, didn't really look like she was staring at a Walker, but rather some randon insect that crossed her path. She looked unbothered, bored even.

Until she smiled. Closed mouthed, and dark, her smile was downright chilling.

Standing back up, Nye got moving on the next part of her plan. Going over to the junk covered coffee-table in the corner of the room, Nye pushed it over to the right of the recliner, ignoring the Walker's brittle attempts to grab her.

After unceremoniously sweeping off all of the trash, Nye walked over to the two by three foot television. unplugging it, and carrying it over, Nye dropped it down on the table.

Item after item, she stacked on, adding to the weight put on the table. Once covered in an assortment of heavy and random stuff, Nye crouched down, pulling experimentally on the leg closest to the recliner.

After it didn't give, Nye nodded to herself. Darting to the hallway, Nye gave Daryl a silent signal to stay put. When she came back, she was carefully holding the handcuffs by the tips of her fingers.

He had an idea of where this was going.

Sitting next to, but out of arms length of the Walker, Nye snapped the pipe side cuff onto the table leg. Calmly reaching over, Nye grabbed the Walker's right arm.

The thing was too weak to fight her, as she snapped the bloodied cuff over the Walker's wrist.

Standing up, and stepping back, Nye breathed a soft sigh as the now undead Martin reached for her and Daryl, paper-thin skin breaking easily under the cuff.

Dark satisfaction seeped deep into her bones as she watched the almost tar looking blood run down his arm.

As a final form of payback, Nye went into his pockets pulling out his wallet. So if anyone found him, they wouldn't even know his name, or be able to put it on a grave.

And that brought a new problem to mind.

Nye pursed her lips, taking out her knife, and slicing into her left palm without preamble.

"The hell are you doin?" Daryl asked in concern, but didn't move to stop her.

"Leaving a note." Nye said under her breath.

Dipping her right hand index and middle fingers into the blood pooling in her palm, Nye stepped up to the closest wall. Making wide, and sweeping gestures, smearing the blood, Daryl slowly read what she was writing.

 **LEAVE HIM**

Daryl bit his lip harshly, feeling a bitterness towards the Walker, as he was clearly a participant, if not the perpetrator, of whatever had been done to Nye in the past.

Wallet in hand, Nye took one last look at the Walker, before turning to the kitchen. Daryl followed silently, as she opened the flimsy screen door leading to the backyard.

Outside, the backyard faired better than the front. Mostly due to the fact that the yard tapered off into the woods.

There was no fence to separate the yard and forest, making Nye's job easier. Just like before, she practically danced through the foliage while she worked towards her destination. The walk to her creak was shorter than she remembered, but that could be because her legs were longer now.

The first sign that they reached it, was the sound of water lapping at rocks as it calmly drifted by. Then there was the earthy smell of mud.

Nye cracked a genuine smile as she took in the sight of her old safe place. Where she learned to fish while hiding from Martin. Where she took Shepherd on there first Christmas together.

But the smile fell, as she rubbed her thumb across the soft leather of her father's wallet.

After a moment of debate, Nye opened it, taking out and looking over his driver's license. His picture was as expected, dead eyed and frown heavily in place.

All it took was seeing those eyes, for her to become tensed and fuming.

Shoving the license back into the wallet, Nye reared her arm back, and tossed it into the creak.

But that wasn't enough to ebb her frustrations. Leaning down, she picked up several rocks, throwing them too. When she ran out of those, she kicked a few.

Putting to much momentum into her last kick, Nye slipped on the mud, landing roughly on her behind.

Wincing at the pain in her stomach, she brushed off Daryl's offered hand, choosing to stay where she was instead.

Seeing she had no intention of moving, Daryl sat down next to her.

"This is where I learned to fish."

Daryl looked over at her, not expecting to have heard her voice after she was so silent.

Nye pulled her knees up, resting her arms on them despite the pain it brought to her middle. "I'd come here to hide from him."

Looking back out at the water, Daryl fidgeted with his crossbow. "Who was he?"

She sighed, as she carefully took off her jacket. "My dad. Martin Conner."

Daryl nodded once, taking on how she was blatantly revealing her arm to him, and was showing no signs of discomfort. "The picture?"

Nye chewed the inside of her cheek, pulling out the photo she found in Martin's drawer, and handing it to the hunter. "My mom. Beverley Babcock." Picking at the frayed holes in her jeans, Nye shrugged limply. "Martin got her pregnant when she was sixteen. She died right after giving birth to me."

"'m sorry."

"Don't be. It's messed up, but she's probably better off dead, than having to have been married to that monster."

Daryl handed her the photo back.

Slipping it into her pocket, Nye stared out into the forest passed the creak. "You can ask, you know."

He knew what she meant, and he was partially tempted to ask about the furnace, and handcuffs. But he didn't know if he wanted the answer.

Seemingly able to read what he was feeling, Nye smiled again, choosing a lighter topic of her childhood.

"My grandmother raised me until I was five. She would tell me stories about Beverley, and always made sure to drill me with life lessons, and ways to stay safe." Nye snorted. "I was four when she taught me about gun safety for Christ's sake."

Daryl relaxed faintly as she appeared to be lost in the good memories.

The look in her eyes softened perceptibly. "She would call me Mouse. Because I was always so quiet and reserved."

A snort made Nye's head shoot to her right, staring in surprise at Daryl. Who seemed to be unbelieving in her description of her childhood self.

Smile widening, and turning into more of a grin, Nye jokingly punched him in the arm. "It's true! I was an angel!"

Shaking his head, Daryl bit his lip to avoid any trace of humor showing. "Ain't buyin' it."

With a breathy giggle, Nye leaned back. "You are such a dick."

Listening to birds chirping, and cawing at one another, Nye's grin dimmed back to a smile. "Nana's the only reason I kept the name Conner." Nye paused, before tucking her head down on her arms. "Well, that and because Shepherd thought it was a cool name."

Daryl absently twirled a bolt in his hands, still keeping half an ear out for Walkers as he listened to her. "How'd you meet 'im?"

Eyes widening in shock of his question (more so the fact he cared enough to ask) Nye's mouth opened and closed for a second, before she was able to form a sentence.

"I... I was working at this mom 'n pop type diner. He was sitting by himself, looking like he was hiding from something. He asked for a water, so I brought him a whole plate of food." Nye snickered to herself, remembering how she had charged it to the creep who was coming onto her. "I spotted a bruise on his wrist, and we got to talking about our shitty home situations. He... he had an abusive foster mother, and I just... I wanted to help him."

Nye shrugged helplessly. "So, we'd hang out together while hiding from our parents. It didn't take long for us to think of each other like siblings." Her eyes became misty. "I'd call him Squirt. And he would call me Aggy. And sometimes, we would go to new diners, or bookstores, where people didn't know us. And we would pretend we had known each other our whole lives, as real brother and sister."

Nye scoffed to herself, using it to cover up a sniffle. "I know it sounds stupid-"

"It's not."

Nye sucked in her lips, nodding as she ducked her head. Tears threatening to spill over, she decided it was time to go. Brushing her hands off on her jeans, she stood.

"C'mon, I think I've had enough of memory lane."

Plunged into silence as they walked back to the van, Nye felt an overwhelming urge to take his hand. Not romantically, but to simply bring herself some physical comfort and reassurance. Of course, she didn't go for it though, fearful of how Daryl would react.

As Nye put her hand on the passenger door handle, she took one last look back at the house. Deciding to leave it be, instead of going through the trouble of burning it down. This way, Martin was left there, chained up for however long it took him to become a skeleton.

She hoped that whatever afterlife there was, that this was his purgatory. To be forever locked up just like he had done to her.

"Nye."

Turning back, she silently got in the van, buckling her seatbelt and kicking her legs up. As Daryl started Pumpkin, Nye rolled down her window and stuck her right, uncovered arm out, giving the house her middle finger.

Only when the neighborhood was out of sight, did she move her arm back into the van, closing her window.

Then, Nye remembered how they had a forty minute long drive back, with the two of them stuck together until then.

Glancing over at him as he drove, Nye gave Daryl a cheeky smile.

"So, you called me "Sunshine"."


	28. A little longer

**Noémie G** **on youtube makes OC videos, and her most recent one has a multitude of people's OCs in it, and Nye's one of them! So please go check it out, she worked really hard on it! :D**

* * *

"Wakey wakey! Get your asses up!"

Nye, now with her hair reaching just under her shoulderblades, yanked away the sheet blocking Mason and Toby's room. Lifting up her broken monkey wrench, Nye drove the point home by banging on the barred door.

"Jesus fucking- We heard you! Stop!" Mason yelled, voice deeper than before, into his pillow, covering his ears.

"Mooom..." Toby whined, voice deeper as well, rolling over on the bottom bunk, turning away from the door.

Hands on her hips, Nye stared them down. "It's your own damn fault for being so tired. You're the ones who decided to read comics with Carl in the dark all night."

Toby pointed upwards. "That was him. I was trying to sleep, but he and Carl were being rambunctious."

Mason shot up, leaning over the top bunk, and glared tiredly at his brother, upside-down. "You lying son of a- You were a part of it too!"

Toby sat up, pushing Mason's face away. "You can prove nothing."

"Yo, shit-heads." Nye clapped her hands for their attention. "Get up. And go help with the crops."

While the two of them got ready, Nye popped back into her room, setting down her wrench. Picking up and putting on her newest, and most favorite jacket, Nye headed back out.

It was bright yellow, with a white circle in the stomach area. In the white circle, sat a happy little sun. To top it off, the hood had two, round ears.

It was a Funshine Bear jacket. And Nye adored it, much to Daryl's chagrin.

Stepping outside the cell-block, Nye smiled at the lively atmosphere going around. The constant chatter of people almost managed to drown out the Walkers moaning on the other side of the fence.

It had been almost five months since she and Daryl went to her childhood house. And in that time, Nye upheld her promise and didn't go on anymore runs. Though, she was added as a member of the council.

Practically skipping, Nye nodded in greeting to anyone she passed by, which was a lot. Once arriving at the outdoor cooking and eating area they had made, Nye spotted Carol at the grill.

The brunette's smile spread wider as she saw who the short haired woman was talking to.

"Smells good." Daryl commented as Nye came up from behind him.

Carol flipped over a piece of meat, gesturing to all the people who had just greeted the hunter on his way over. "Just so you know, I liked you first."

Nye took an offered plate from Carol, winking at the hunter. "And I may not have liked you _first_ , but I think I'm the one who likes you the most."

Daryl shook his head at the two, ears turning red. "Stop."

Carol looked passed Nye and Daryl's shoulders, waving her hand. "Morning kiddos."

Mason dragged his feet as he walked, groaning like Frankenstein's monster. Toby faired better, walking straight, but still grumbled in greeting.

Nye nodded over to a table. "I'll bring you two some food, just sit."

Toby smiled tiredly, sitting down, while Mason threw himself at his seat, muttering "Fuck yes."

Watching the people milling around, before her eyes settled back on the two boys, Carol handed Nye two more plates. "They're almost taller than you are."

Balancing the plates, Nye frowned in exhaustion at the reference to their recent growth-spurts. "Don't remind me."

Daryl glanced around, putting a piece of meat in his mouth. "You know, Rick brought in a lot of them, too."

Carol shrugged doubtfully. "Not recently. Give the strangers sanctuary, keeping people fed, you're gonna have to learn to live with the love." She said, only half joking.

"Right." Daryl said disbelievingly.

Nye rolled her eyes. "Oh my God, how do you not see how awesome you are?"

"I need you to see something." Carol spoke, pulling the flushed hunter's attention away from Nye. Looking to her right, she held her spatula out to the person closest to her. "Patrick, you want to take over?"

A teenage boy with black hair, and glasses looked over, hurrying to do as was asked. "Yes, ma'am."

When the three adults began to split off, Patrick straightened up. "Mr. Dixon, I just wanted to thank you for bringing that deer back yesterday. It was a real treat, sir."

Nye's mouth fell open in a shocked smile, as she looked between the two like it was a tennis match. Daryl's slightly dumbfounded expression was all too endearing.

"And I'd be honored to shake your hand."

Daryl paused, obviously not having expected something like this. After licking the grease off of a few fingers (something Nye did _not_ shiver at the sight of, thank you) he slapped his hand into Patrick's, shaking it sturdily.

Patrick grinned as Daryl and Carol walked away, seeming to be in slight awe of the hunter.

Shaking her head, Nye smiled at the teenager. "Never change, Patty-cake."

Mason and Toby practically cheered when she brought them their plates. But the joy was short lived, as Nye ordered them to eat fast, so they could help in the field.

"What'll you be doing?" Mason asked around a mouthful of food.

Tapping his jaw closed, Nye leaned back on her heels. "Boring shit, and story time. Maybe help out on the fence too."

"Is it safe?" Toby questioned doubtfully, staring pointedly at her stomach.

Crossing her arms, she gave him a look. "Dude, I'm good to go. You heard Hershel say I could run a marathon."

He hummed, unconvinced.

The sound of a motorcycle engine brought their attention to the gate, where a caravan led by Daryl was stationed, ready to go.

Giving a quick swipe at both boys, playfully knocking their hats off their heads, Nye walked backwards away from the table. "I'll be right back, gonna say bye to the crew."

Mason rolled his eyes, giving her an absent wave as he stuffed his face. Toby's send off was much more involved, as he gave her a nod and told her to come back soon.

Jogging down to the gate, Nye waved at Rick, Carl, and Michonne, who were all in the field, as she passed. Reaching the car first, Nye stuck her head in through an open window, grinning at everyone inside.

"None of you asshats better die."

Glenn scoffed jokingly. "Us? You've got a bigger chance of hurting yourself here, than we do out there."

Nye looked up to the driver's seat. "Sasha, Glenn's being mean to me."

Said woman snickered, looking at them through the rear-view mirror. "Knock it off, before I turn this car around."

Smirking triumphantly at her friend, Nye leaned back out, giving Glenn a punch in the shoulder. "Bring me back something cool."

"I'll try my best."

"Hey Nye?" Zack called before she walked away.

She ducked her head back in. "What's up?"

He sighed good-naturedly. "Do _you_ know what Daryl was before all this?"

Nye blinked, thinking on it before shaking her head. "Nope. Not a clue, sorry man. Besides, that's cheating."

Zack chuckled and shrugged, waving her off. "No problem, just figured if anyone would know, it'd be you."

Choosing to ignore what he meant by that, she gave one last tap to the roof of the car before walking away.

Heading over to where Daryl was parked, she saw him talking to Rick and Michonne.

"Well, look who's back."

Michonne smiled at the hunter, but it was tight. "Didn't find him."

Daryl nodded, biting his lip. "Glad to see you in one piece."

"That's all we can ask for." Nye spoke, saddling up next to the redneck.

"I'm thinking of looking over near Macon. It's worth a shot." Michonne planned.

Everyone shared a disbelieving look.

"Seventy miles of Walkers. You might run into a few unneighborly types. Is it?" Daryl challenged.

Nye pursed her lips, fidgeting with her goggles. "It doesn't sound like a one person job." She said hesitantly, not wanting to spur Daryl into following Michonne in her mission. He had stopped heading out looking for The Governor almost a whole month ago, and Nye didn't want to lose any more time with the hunter.

"I'm gonna go check out the Big Spot. The one I was talkin' about, just seein'." Daryl informed their former leader.

"Yeah, I got to go out and check the snares. I don't want to lose whatever we catch to the Walkers." Rick said.

"I'll go." Michonne offered.

"You just got here." Carl said indignantly.

Michonne smiled at him placatingly. "And I'll be back."

Nye smirked at how fond the sheriff's son had gotten of Michonne. Giving a light tap on Daryl's shoulder with her knuckles, Nye looked to the archer imploringly.

"Stay safe."

Daryl nodded once, ducking his head. "Always am."

Letting out a breath, she stepped back and let the caravan drive by. Waving at them as they passed, Nye stuffed her other hand into her pocket, thumb brushing over both the picture of her and Shepherd, and the one of Beverley.

...

"Hey Carl! Where's Rick?" Mason called as he and Toby wandered over to the sheriff's son.

Carl tossed the soccer ball in his hands, over to Patrick. "He went out to check the snares."

Both boys nodded, but Mason grinned. "Does that mean we can get away with not doing our chores?"

Toby shook his head at his brother. "Sure, if you want Mom down on our asses."

Mason gave a fake gasp, which Carl piggybacked on.

"Did you just swear?" The sheriff's son asked in an over-the-top scandalized tone.

Toby glowered at them. "I've done it before, just not often. Give me a break."

Patrick looked between the brothers in amusement. "I don't get how you two are related."

Toby looked at the older kid in surprise. "Wait, you don't know?"

Carl took the soccer ball back, tossing it in the air and catching it. "It's not obvious guys. I mean, you both call Nye "Mom" after all."

Crossing his arms behind his head, Mason shrugged. "Carl's got a point."

Toby sighed agreeingly, catching the ball as Carl tossed it to him and turned to Patrick. "We're both adopted."

As Patrick went to say something, a commotion caught the four boys' attention.

"Nick, look over here!"

"This one's Wayne."

"Nick!"

"Nick, over here. Hi, Nick!"

"Hi, Nick!"

Mouths agape, the boys walked over as they watched the younger kids naming, and calling jovially to the Walkers outside the fence.

"You're naming them?" Carl asked in disgusted disbelief.

Mika turned around, looking sheepish at Carl's angered tone. "Well, one of them has a name tag, so we thought all of them should."

"That's not okay guys." Toby said, calling to the other kids.

"They had names when they were alive. They're dead now." Carl said with finality.

"No, they're not." Lizzie said defensively. "They're just different."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Carl scoffed.

Mason scowled at the undead blocked off from them. "That's the dumbest fucking thing I've ever heard."

Carl straightened up, staring the kids down. "Okay, they don't talk. They don't think. They eat people. They _kill_ people."

"People kill people. They still have names." Lizzie countered.

"Please tell me you're not going to be the first _Walker's rights advocate_." Toby mockingly asked, the back of his tongue sour at the idea of his fellow adolescents being so carefree about the walking corpses.

"Have you seen what happens? Have you seen someone die like that?" Carl asked her.

"Yeah, I have." Lizzie said, unflinchingly.

Carl glared at her disregard of past events. "They're not people and they're not pets. _Don't_ name them."

Lizzie glared right back, shaking her head ruefully as she nudged the younger kids along. "We're supposed to go read. Come on."

Mika stayed behind, looking up at Patrick. "You coming to story time tonight?"

Patrick hesitated, glancing at the three other boys by his side. "Uh, yeah."

"See you then." Mika beamed, skipping away.

When they were gone, Carl, Mason, and Toby rounded on Patrick.

"I go sometimes. I'm immature." Patrick defended. "You wouldn't dig it. It's for kids."

Mason and Toby shared a look, knowing just what "story time" was actually about. After all, Nye helped Carol out with it.

"I'll catch you later, young sirs." Patrick called, as he headed back to the prison.

Mason held his hand out for the ball, and when he got it, he nonchalantly bounced it back and forth between his knees as he looked thoughtfully out at the Walkers the kids were talking too only moments ago. Their rotting skin and jutting bones so familiar now. When was it that they became desensitized to the horrific sight, he had no idea.

"How can someone look at those, and think there's anything human there to do with it?" Toby murmured.

...

"The children fastened their eyes upon their bit of candle and watched it melt slowly and pitilessly away."

Nye listened with half an ear as Carol read from the story book. Catching movement out of the corner of her eye, Nye fought off a smile as she saw Carl trying to sneak into the library undetected. He was clearly too proud to admit he was interested in story time.

"Saw the half inch of wick stand alone at last. Saw the feeble flame rise and the thin tower of smoke. Linger at its top a moment and then..."

Ryan, Lizzie and Mika's father, nodded to the door, silently indicating he had other places to be. Once he was out the door, Nye sat up from her position on the floor next to Carol. While the short haired woman put the book away.

Luke raised his hand. "Ma'am, should I take watch now?"

"Yes, Luke, you do that." Carol said sternly, picking up a case sitting by her chair.

Nye gave an encouraging smile at the boy. "You remember the signal, right?"

Luke nodded, whistling quietly to prove it.

"Today...we are talking about knives- how to use them, how to be safe with them, and how they could save your life." Carol said seriously, setting the case of assorted knives down in front of everyone.

"Ma'ams, may I be dismissed?" Patrick asked, voice unsteady.

"What's wrong?" Nye stood, stepping closer to the teenager.

Patrick shook his head. "I'm not feeling very well."

Nye frowned, noting that he did look rather pale. Not to mention he was covered in sweat. Taking a step, she put the back of her hand to his forehead, wincing at the heat radiating off of it.

"Jeez, you're burning up."

"Sometimes you're gonna have to fight through it." Carol said unwaveringly. "What if you wind up out there alone? You just give up because you're feeling bad?"

"No, it's just I-I don't want to yack on somebody." Patrick said tremulously.

Lizzie and Mika, who were the closest to him, scooted a few inches away.

"Go." Carol relented.

Patrick wasted no time bolting out of the room.

Carol picked up a large hunting knife as Nye sat back down. "Okay, today we're gonna learn how to hold a knife, how to stab and slash and where to aim for."

Nye nudged Carol's shoulder, nodding to where Carl stood between the bookshelves. When the short haired woman saw him, she lowered the knife, giving him a pleading look.

"Please, don't tell your father."

Carl scowled, shaking his head as he ran out of the library. Nye immediately stood back up.

"I'll do damage control."

By the time she caught up to him, he was back in their cell-block. Marching towards his room.

"Chief, slow down, just listen-"

Carl spun on his heels. "You lied! You're both keeping this from everyone else!"

Nye gave him a probing look. "Are we?"

Carl faltered. "Aren't you?"

"That's my point. You don't know who knows."

"Do Mason and Toby?"

Nye chewed the inside of her cheek and nodded.

Carl scoffed. "Than why wasn't I told?"

"Carol was afraid you'd go to Rick if you knew. We can't afford to put a stop to this Chief, you more than anyone knows how important it is to be armed and ready."

Carl pursed his lips, looking to the floor.

"Hey," Nye called, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You're my friend Carl, and I don't want us fighting. We good?"

After a moment, Carl nodded. "Yeah, I guess."

She sighed, as that wasn't the response she was hoping for, but she would take it for now. Putting the back of her hand to her mouth, Nye stifled a cough.

"You okay?" He asked, anger momentarily forgotten.

Nye waved it off, giving him a smile for reassurance. "Right as rain, my dude."

...

As night fell, people one by one trickled into the cell-block and their respective rooms. On her way to hers, Nye walked passed Mason and Toby's, giggling at the scene inside.

Mason was laying face down on the top bunk, snoring away. Toby on the other hand, was glaring up at the top bunk, clearly unable to sleep with Mason's snores going on.

When Toby spotted her, he looked to Nye pleadingly. "When can I get my own room?"

Nye pretended to ponder that for a moment. "Hmmm, when I don't find this adorable anymore."

Toby gave her a deadpan look. "So, never?"

Nye started to close their curtain. "Ding ding ding, give the man his prize."

Toby groaned, as she slid the sheet shut.

"I cursed today! Mason's a bad influence on me!"

Nye ignored him, walking into her own room.

Sliding her curtain shut, she changed into her pajamas. A pair of Hello Kitty shorts, and an oversized Queen T-shirt. Taking off her goggles, and putting her hair into a messy ponytail, Nye sat back on her bed (a cot now, instead of a bunk bed) and opened the worn out copy of Chamber of Secrets Daryl found for her while on a run.

After making it a few chapters farther into the book, there was a knock on the wall outside her room.

Looking up, she smiled upon seeing Daryl, seeming no worse for ware.

"Hi."

"Hey..."

Nye frowned, immediately catching onto the saddened tone of his voice. "You okay? What happened?"

Daryl sighed faintly, looking around at the decorations Nye had put up to make her room feel more cozy. Despite what some people would glean from her personality, Nye tended to favor pastel decor. Which resulted in her room having a larger splash of color than the others'.

"We lost Zack."

Eyes closing, Nye ducked her head. "Damnit." Setting aside her book, she looked him over. "Is everyone else okay?"

"There was a close call with Bob, but he's good."

Nodding slowly, Nye crossed her legs, making room on the bed. "You wanna talk about it?"

Daryl hesitated, considering it, before shaking his head. "Nah, I gotta tell Beth."

Sighing through her nose, Nye gave him a small smile. "Okay. Just... you know where to find me, if you need someone to vent to."

Daryl nodded in thanks. "Night Sunshine."

Grinning softly as her cheeks flushed, Nye leaned back. "Night Hotshot."

When he closed the curtain behind him, a large part of her wanted him to come right back, and stay a little longer.

...

A gunshot sounded, coming from cell-block D. But Nye didn't move from her place in bed.

Eyes shut, and crusted over, Nye slept soundly with her mouth open, nose too congested to breathe through. She didn't awake until Mason ran into her room, shaking her.

"Mom! Get up! There're Walkers in D!"

Brows furrowing, her eyes cracked open. Squinting up at Mason with dry eyes, Nye swallowed away the feeling of cotton in her mouth.

"Wha?"

Mason shook his head, pulling her up by her arms. "Walkers in D!"

Last bit of sleep fading from her mind, Nye's eyes widened.

Jumping up out of bed, Nye put a hand to her head at the resulting dizzy-spell, and grabbed her gun and wrench.

Feet unsteady, Nye followed Mason as he led her to D. Gunfire and screams getting louder the closer they got. When they arrived, most of the hysteria had calmed, as it seemed all the Walkers were taken care of.

Toby turned around, spotting his family and ran over.

"Are you both okay?"

Mason nodded. "Yeah, you?"

"Fine." Toby looked to Nye in concern, noticing how pale she was. "Mom?"

Her eyes ran over the cell-block, at all the bodies. Hand gripping her gun tightly, Nye shook her head to herself. "How... h-how did I not hear this?"

Toby put a hand on her arm. "You were asleep. It's fine."

Nye frowned, staring out the windows, seeing how bright outside it was. "What time is it?"

The boys shared a look, and Mason bit his lip. "...It's almost noon."

Swearing at herself quietly, Nye looked up as Daryl and Rick came down the stairs.

"You good?" Daryl asked the three.

"Yeah, they just got here." Toby said.

Daryl nodded, looking to Nye. "Need your opinion on somethin'."

When Daryl led her upstairs, and to a specific cell, Nye saw a dead Walker laying on the floor. She winced when she identified him as Charlie.

"No bites. No wounds." Rick said, crouched down by the dead man. "I think he just died."

Nye put a hand to her mouth as she looked over all the blood coating Charlie's face.

"Horribly, too. Pleurisy aspiration." Doctor S commented.

"Choked to death on his own blood. Caused those trails down his face." Hershel said.

Rick ran his hand down his face, sighing. "I've seen them before, on a Walker outside the fences."

"I saw them on Patrick, too." Daryl said in a hushed tone.

Nye turned to him. "Patrick's gone?"

Daryl nodded, giving her an apologetic look, and Nye dropped her head.

"Jesus..."

"The blood's from the internal lung pressure building up. Like if you shake a soda can and pop the top." Doctor S explained. "Only, imagine your eyes, ears, nose, and throat are the top."

Nye's hand came up to her throat, as she swallowed painfully.

"It's a sickness from the Walkers?" Bob asked.

Doctor S shook his head. "No, these things happened before they were around. Could be pneumococcal. Most likely an aggressive flu strain."

"Someone locked him in just in time." Hershel said, looking down at the body.

Daryl pursed his lips. "No, man. Charlie used to sleepwalk. Locked himself in. Hell, he was just eatin' barbecue yesterday. How could somebody die in a day just from a cold?"

"You'd be surprised." Nye murmured lowly.

"I had a sick pig, it died quick. Saw a sick boar in the woods." Rick said.

Hershel nodded sagely. "Pigs and birds. That's how these things spread in the past. We need to do something about those hogs."

"Maybe we got lucky. Maybe these two cases are it." Doctor S suggested.

Bob looked sceptical. "Haven't seen anybody be lucky in a long time. Bugs like to run through close quarters. Doesn't get any closer than this."

"All of us in here, we've all been exposed." Hershel told them.

"Shit." Nye murmured, walking away and leaning over the railing. "Boys! Don't touch anything!"

"Why?!"

"Just don't!" Nye coughed, voice cracking from the over use.

"Niagara." Hershel called, walking over. "You don't look well."

Nye waved him off. "I'm fine. I think I'd know if I was about to choke on my own blood."

Hershel looked doubtful, but dropped it for now.

Daryl gave her a once over as well, telling himself she was fine, despite looking pale.

It was decided rather quickly, to hold a meeting on what to do going forward, and how to handle the threat of the sickness spreading.

In the library, Daryl, Carol, Glenn, Sasha, and Hershel sat at a table, while Nye stood, leaning against a bookshelf a few feet away.

"Patrick was fine yesterday, and he died overnight. Two people died that quick? We'll have to separate everyone that's been exposed." Carol said, arms crossed over the table.

Daryl leaned forward from where he sat in his backwards chair. "That's everyone in that cell block. That's all of us. Mason 'n Toby. Maybe more."

"We know that this sickness can be lethal. We don't know how easily it spreads. Is anyone else showing symptoms that we know of?" Hershel asked.

Nye ducked her head, feeling less and less sure that she was fine. Especially now that she was starting to frequently get light-headed.

"We can't just wait and see. There's children. It isn't just the illness. If people die, they become a threat." Carol said seriously.

"We need a place for them to go. They can't stay in D. We can't risk going in there to clean it up." Hershel said.

"We can use cell block A." Carol suggested.

"That's an idea." Nye added unhelpfully, voice scratchy. She didn't particularly like the idea of sending her kids to that block.

"Death row?" Glenn clarified, clearly not on board. "I'm not sure that's much of an upgrade."

"It's clean. That's an upgrade." Daryl said, turning to Hershel. "Think that'll work for Doctor S?"

Hershel nodded. "I'll help Caleb get it set up."

Everyone suddenly looked to the door, as they heard the sound of a woman coughing.

Hurrying out of their seats, they all went out the door, spotting Karen and Tyreese.

"You okay?" Carol asked Karen, looking at her suspiciously.

"Mm-hmm."

"You sure? You don't sound so good."

Tyreese rubbed his girlfriend's shoulder. "We're just taking her back to my cell so she can rest."

"Tyreese, I don't think that's a good idea." Hershel said softly.

"Why? What's going on now?" Karen asked tiredly.

No one answered right away, instead sharing glances.

"We think it's a flu or something." Glenn started. "That's how Patrick died."

Hershel walked towards them. "Judith is in that cell-block. She's vulnerable. Anyone that may be sick or even exposed should stay away."

"It killed Patrick?" Karen whispered fearfully.

"She's gonna be okay." Tyreese said defensively. "Now that we know what Patrick died from we can treat it, right?"

Hershel held up a hand. "Don't panic. We're going to figure this out. But we should keep you separated in the meantime. We'll have Caleb take a look at you. I'll see what we have in the way of medications."

Karen looked between them all, crossing her arms. "David from the Decatur group, he's been coughing, too."

Glenn sighed, heading towards the door. "I'll get him. There's some empty clean cells in the tombs, right?"

"Yeah, we'll meet you there." Sasha called after him.

"Okay."

"Come on. Sasha urged, leading Tyreese and Karen away. "Let's get you settled."

Hershel sighed. "Have to call another meeting later."

"All right." Daryl bobbed his head. "I'll get to buryin' the dead ones."

"You wear gloves, and a mask." Hershel ordered.

"Uh-huh."

Nye leaned off the wall. "I'll help."

"No," Daryl immediately shot her down. "You should get some rest."

Wanting to argue, but not having the energy, Nye's shoulders dropped as she gave a reluctant nod. She moved to go towards cell-block C.

"Nye..."

The brunette held a hand up at the vet's soft warning. "I know. I'm not gonna sleep in C, I just wanna check in on things."

Carol remained silent. Stiff and severe.

...

Mason and Toby were hanging out with Carl, as the sheriff's son was making crosses. Both Conner kids were wearing masks and gloves, to avoid spreading anything if they were infected.

Nye walked up from behind, knocking on a table to gain their attention. Carl looked back at her, then hammered a few more nails.

"You know if Patrick was Catholic?"

Nye frowned in thought, tucking her hands in her pockets. "I'm pretty sure he said he was an Atheist."

Carl grunted in acknowledgement, ripping off the plank he just hammered into longer piece of wood, to make a cross.

"How you doing Mom?" Toby asked, voice muffled by the bandana over his mouth.

"Fine. How are you guys feeling? Any coughing, sneezing... choking on blood?"

Mason snorted, fidgeting with his gloves. "We're doing just dandy."

Nye smiled faintly in relief. Looking back down at Carl, she scuffed her boot against the floor. "So... Did'ja end up telling your dad 'bout what you found out yesterday?"

Carl sighed, moving on to another grave marker. "Nope."

Nye leaned her hip on the table next to her. "Are you gonna tell him? 'cuz me and Carol need to be doing this. You know that."

Carl glanced at her over his shoulder. "Did you tell their parents?"

Nye bit her lip. "No."

"Are you gonna tell them?"

Tired from the effort of standing, Nye sat atop the table. "If we do, they _might_ understand after all the shit lately. But, if they _don't_ , and decide to pull the plug, me and Carol are screwed. We can't take that risk, bud."

Carl shrugged, hammering a nail. "Whatever, that's between you and them."

Nye shook her head. "No it's not. It's between you, me, and Carol. Because if you tell Rick, he'll tell everyone else."

Carl glared at her. "I don't want to lie to my dad."

Nye stood. "It's not lying, it's omitting. All I'm asking is for you to keep this quiet... But if you're not comfortable with it, I understand. I won't make you do anything you don't want to."

Carl huffed, setting down his hammer. "Okay."

Smiling, Nye refrained from ruffling his hair as she passed. As she headed towards the door, Nye gave her boys a salute.

"Farewell gentleman. I'm off to nap 'til all our problems are solved."

The three boys scoffed, though the act was done with fondness. Later, when Carl went to Rick, telling him about what "story time" really was, he left Nye's involvement out of it.

...

As Nye slept soundly, a shadow-y figure stopped in front of her door. It hesitated, twitching as it fluctuated between leaving, and entering the cell. But in the end the choice was obvious. So obvious that there was never even a choice to begin with.

The shadow sagged, letting out a defeated sigh. The knife in their hand was tucked away, as they stepped into the cell. Reaching down, the shadow gently covered up Nye's form with the scratchy prison issued blanket.

Stepping back, the shadow took a shuddering breath, pulling back out the knife.

As Nye slept, unbothered, the shadow snuck into Karen's cell. Then David's.

Even with the sound of the crying shadow dragging away the two new dead bodies, Nye didn't stir.


	29. Crooked smile

Every swallow felt like a razor going down her throat. Every breath felt like stoking a fire. Every _move_ she made, felt weighed down.

Nye was sick. And she knew it. But going into quarantine was the last thing on her mind, when Tyreese got her, Daryl, Rick, and Carol, to show them all something. What he showed them, put everything on the back-burner.

The smell of burnt hair and flesh hit her, making her hastily cover her nose. She'd smelled something like it before, back when a squirrel got stuck an a chimney back in the cabin she and the boys once stayed at in Big Bear. But this was so much worse.

Two charred beyond recognition bodies, were laid out behind the prison. A disturbing blood trail led to both bodies, indicating they had most likely been dead before being lit aflame.

Nye gagged, having to look away, or risk contaminating the crime scene with bile.

 _I was there. That could be me._

But the question was, why wasn't Nye there, dead and burned like Karen and David? Who had been the only other people in the tombs with Nye the previous night.

Next to her, Daryl was coiled tightly like a wound up spring. His chest feeling heavier anytime he thought about the fact that Nye could easily be laid out on the ground too. And there would have been nothing he could do about it.

There was no doubt that the possibilities of what could have happened were going to linger with him. Most likely hindering his sleep for the foreseeable future.

"You found them like this?" Rick broached, he himself looking bothered by the charred remains.

Tyreese nodded robotically, staring at the body of his dead girlfriend with a bizarre amount of intensity. "I came to see Karen... and I saw the blood on the floor. Then I smelled them... Somebody _dragged_ them out here and set them on fire! They _killed_ them and _set them on fire_!"

As Tyreese raged, Nye felt crippling empathy for him. Unable, and unwilling to imagine something like this happening to her. The thought of someone she knew, going behind everyone's backs, and murdering her boys, or Daryl, and then setting them on fire, made Nye bothered and horrified beyond all levels.

Tyreese rounded on Rick, taking an admittedly menacing step towards the sheriff, causing everyone to tense.

"You're a cop. You find out who did this and you bring 'em to _me_!"

Rick raised a hand, attempting to persuade him to calm down, but Tyreese steamed on.

"You understand? You bring 'em to me!"

Daryl came up from behind Tyreese, moving to put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll find out who-"

Tyreese slapped Daryl's hand away, taking another step towards Rick. "I need to say it again?"

Rick shook his head calmly. "No. No. I know what you're feeling, I've been there. You _saw_ me there. It's dangerous."

"Karen didn't deserve this!"

"No." Rick shook his head in agreement.

"David didn't deserve it! _Nobody does_!"

Sensing the raising tension, Daryl put his hand on Tyreese's shoulder, pulling him away from Rick. "Alright, man, let's-"

Tyreese spun around, grabbing the front of Daryl's vest, and slamming him into the wall. "Man, I ain't going nowhere 'til I find out who did this!"

Everyone surged forward, but Daryl quickly held up his hand, signalling for them to stay back, and calm down.

Nye hesitated stepping back, brows furrowed in worry, as she wrung her bright yellow jacket in her hands. Carol took the crook of her arm, slowly pulling her back.

"We're on the same side, man." Daryl calmly stated, causing Tyreese to let up slightly. The redneck's own fury at the perpetrator was palpable in his voice.

"Hey, look, I know what you're going through." Rick quietly started. "We've all lost someone. We know what you're going through right now, but you've got to calm down..." He reached to move Tyreese off of Daryl.

Tyreese let the redneck go, rearing back on Rick, pushing him roughly. "You need to step the hell back!"

"Ty!" Nye shouted hoarsely, still being held back by Carol.

"She wouldn't want you being like this." Rick whispered.

Wrong choice of words, apparently, as Tyreese sucker-punched Rick in the face, knocking their former leader to the ground.

"Stop! Stop!" Carol yelled, as Tyreese began whaling on Rick.

"Tyreese!" Nye pleaded, as Carol let her go to stand between the two men.

Daryl lunged at Tyreese's back, putting him in something similar to a choke-hold. "That's enough!"

Tyreese shrugged Daryl off, just as Rick stood back up. The former sheriff threw a punch back at Tyreese, then another, and then several more.

"Rick! Stop!

Tyreese was flat on his back, as Rick now beat his fists into the larger man's face.

Daryl moved to pull him off. "That's enough. Rick!"

When Rick tried shrugging him off like Tyreese had, Daryl grabbed him under his arms, removing him from Tyreese forcefully.

"Stop!"

"Let go of me!"

"Rick!"

"Let go of me!"

"No!"

Rick shoved Daryl off, finally looking down at Tyreese's face, and his own bloodied hands. Straightening up, Rick opened his mouth to speak, but never found any words to say.

Tyreese laid on the ground, not bothering to move or get up, as he sobbed brokenly at the loss of the woman he loved.

Nye swallowed, heart-rate through the roof, as she moved a shaky hand from her mouth.

"O-okay, everyone j-just..."

Slowly, Daryl, Rick, and Carol looked over to her, as she trailed off.

Nye's brows came down, sweat lining her pale face. She took a breath, staring off into space as she tried to make her mouth cooperate. "J-just, calm... _c-calm_ -"

Her flushed cheeks paled, bloodshot eyes rolling into the back of her head. Nye fell, dropping to the ground limply.

Daryl darted forward, quickly being intercepted by Rick, roles reversed as the former sheriff now held back the redneck.

"Daryl!"

Struggling in his grip, Daryl watched as Nye began coughing violently, spitting up flecks of blood as she shrunk into herself in the fetal-position.

"She has it! You can't-"

Finally slipping out of Rick's hold, Daryl knelt down next to her, grimacing at how sickly she appeared. Thankfully, though, Nye's eyes opened as she regained full consciousness.

"We need to get her to quarantine." Carol said lowly, wringing her hands, eyes guilty for unknown reasons.

Nye licked her lips, tongue smearing her blood across them, and nodded dazedly. Forcing herself up onto her elbows, she slowly sat up. Daryl all the while hovered near her, incase she fell again.

"I-I'm okay... 'm good." She mumbled.

As she made it to her feet, Nye wobbled unsteadily. Keeping a hand to her mouth as she was hit with random coughing fits, Nye put one foot in front of the other, shambling towards cell-block A. She wanted as far away from her family as possible, lest she infect them.

"Nye."

She glanced behind her shoulder.

Rick gave her a severe look, clenching his bloody fists. "Get better."

Smiling as well as she could, teeth lined in red, Nye gave him and the other two a thumbs-up. "Got it Sheriff."

...

As she wandered to A block, Nye ran into Sasha, almost literally. Using each other for support, the two women made it. Walking inside cell-block A, they saw everyone who had been sleeping in the same block as Patrick, all of them looking worse for ware. When the two moved passed a cell, in which a poor woman just spit up at least a courter-cup of blood, they had to quickly jump to the side, as a Walker reached for them through a locked cell.

It snarled, speckles of blood flying from it's snapping jaws. While Nye looked on in discomfort, Sasha walked closer to the stairs, leaning on the railing for stability.

"Doctor S...?" Sasha croaked, head ducking as she took a deep breath. "Doctor S?"

Nye finally looked away from the Walker, inwardly noting how the cell-block looked like a prime location for a horror movie. Standing beside Sasha, Nye sat herself down on the steps.

Doctor S slowly came from around the corner, looking almost as bad as the two women, having to lean on something for support with every step. "We have to tell them." He panted. "It's starting."

Nye closed her eyes, sighing. Which only led her to another coughing fit.

Sasha nodded, almost deliriously, and moved to go back out of the cell-block.

"No, no..." Nye chanted, a languid trickle of blood spilling out of the corner of her mouth, as a result of the coughing. "You can't... too sick. I'll go..."

Sasha shook her head ruefully, giving Nye a bittersweet smile. "Honey, you're even worse off than I am."

Nye took Sasha's wrist, wiping the blood from her chin with her free hand. "You'll... faint... or sum'n."

Doctor S straightened, waving the girls off as he went for the door. "I'll go. I look like a damn magazine model compared to you two."

Neither woman had the strength, or will, to fight him on the matter. Instead, they fed their energy into making it into two empty cells.

Slowly, a steady stream of people began to fill each cell. Most of which were usually healthy adults. To see them all shaking, coughing, pale messes, was a rather jarring thing to witness.

Nye laid on her back, staring up at the bunk above her. No one inhabited cell-block A, so every cell was barren. With only a bunk bed, housing plain white sheets.

After so long, Nye's room had started to take on the smell of her shampoo, and scented candles. The homey atmosphere always helping quell her discontent. But now, she was back to the smell of dust, with scratchy sheets. What she wouldn't give to at least have her books with her.

It was once Glenn was brought in, hacking and sweating, that someone finally told her the state of her kids.

Apparently, the children, and the elderly, were moved to the administrations office, away from all the cell-blocks. Though, since they had been exposed, Hershel, Mason, and Toby were all in a separate area, to avoid possible spreading of the virus. Nye was relieved to hear that all the kids, especially hers, Carl, and Judith, were relatively safe from the illness.

Glenn sat with her for awhile, going back and forth visiting with her, Sasha, and Doctor S. It went on until the poor guy could no longer make the small trip between cells.

At that point, almost the entire block was full. Coughing and wheezing was heard around the clock, as not a single person there was getting any better.

Nye rested, arm thrown over her eyes. She had put her inner demons aside temporarily, taking off her Funshine Bear jacket, in favor of cooling off. As a result, she was showcasing her arm to whoever may pass by.

There was a meek, and younger sounding cough that cought her attention. As Nye removed her arm, looking down at the door, she saw a head of blonde hair, and a pair of intense green eyes.

"Hey there Rapunzel."

Lizzie smiled shyly, before devolving into a small fit of coughs.

Nye frowned in concern, sitting upright with monumental effort. "C'mere, sit down. Where's Aurora?"

Lizzie sat down next to her on the bed as Nye made room. Sniffling, and wiping her mouth, Lizzie shrugged lightly. "Mika's not here. I don't think she has it."

Nye hummed hoarsely, brushing away some stray strands of Lizzie's bird-nest of blonde hair. "How're you feeling?"

Lizzie shrugged again. "Bad. But I haven't coughed up any blood yet."

Nye nodded slowly, brows furrowed. "Well, that's good. As good as it gets, I mean."

Lizzie sniffled again, reaching up and pulling out her ponytail band, letting her knotted up braid go. "Could... Could you...?"

Lizzie trailed off, holding the elastic band out to Nye. The brunette caught on quick, and motioned for Lizzie to turn around, so her back faced her.

"The usual?"

Lizzie hummed, playing with a loose string at the hem of her shirt.

Nye got to work, carefully twisting Lizzie's hair into a fishtail braid. She was the only one who knew how to do it how Lizzie liked, now that Ryan, the girls' father was gone.

"And... done."

Lizzie turned back around, reaching up and feeling at her hair. Smiling as she felt no loose strands, Lizzie was quick to hug the former nurse.

"Thank you."

Nye softened, heart warm at the appreciation. "No problem. Now go get some rest."

Lizzie got up, practically bouncing out of the cell, despite her sickness. After one more smile over her shoulder, Lizzie left Nye's view, presumably heading back to her cell as Nye instructed.

The brunette's own smile fell as soon as Lizzie was gone. As there was no reason to keep the facade up. Right when she moved to lay back down, her stomach flipped, and she felt a tickle in the back of her throat.

Nye threw her upper half off of the bed, as blood poured from her mouth. Gagging and coughing everytime the blood paused in its escape, Nye's eyes watered in pain, as the acidic combination of bile and blood burned her throat. She soon realized though, that what she thought was tears, was really blood. Causing a disconcerting red filter to spread over her vision.

Eyes shut tight, Nye jumped when a pair of hands gently started holding her hair back. Looking up, she saw Hershel, with a bandana over his mouth for protection.

Nye's throat bobbed as she tried holding back the next bout of blood. Embarrassed to have the man she looked up to so dearly, seeing her at such a low point.

Hershel's eyes crinkled over the bandana, as he carefully brushed more hair back. "Let it out, Niagara. You're better than that."

As her eyes watered with true tears, Nye gave a minute nod, tipping her head back down and letting it all go. Her left hand came up behind her head, and Hershel took it earnestly.

 _Thanks Doc._

He soon left after she stopped vomiting, giving her a reassurance that he would be back soon.

She wasn't sure how long he was gone, but by the time he returned, she felt like she was at 1% battery.

Never before had drinking tea been such a monumental chore. But when Hershel came back (sans bandana) and gave her a cup of elderberry tea, Nye could barely even move at that point.

"It's a natural flu remedy." He replied after she asked why she had to drink the stuff.

Propping herself up using her pillow, Nye took a few careful sips from the mug. The warmth simultaneously soothed her throat, and made her want to cough.

"You're looking pretty pale there Doc." Nye noted, voice scratchy.

"You're one to talk." Hershel retorted. "I can damn near see your veins."

Nye snorted, wincing as the action hurt her throat more than expected, and tipped back the rest of the tea. "I'm a mess. Got it." But she quickly sobered. "I mean it though, you should take a break. You don't look good."

Hershel gave her a tender look, patting her knee. "I'm the only one who can take care of these people. Bob is out on the supply run. And you and Caleb can't even stand. It has to be me."

Nye frowned guiltily. "I could-"

"No." Hershel was quick to shut her down. "You won't be of any help to anybody unless you rest."

Sighing, Nye laid her head back, deciding to change the subject. "Speaking of which, I wonder how the run's going."

Hershel gave her knee another pat. "I'm sure it's going fine. Daryl will be back here soon."

Nye nodded loosely, eyes falling shut. "He better be."

Hershel smiled, giving her a look she wouldn't see. "I don't think there's a single thing out there, that could stop him from coming back to you."

Half-asleep now, Nye smiled deliriously. "Yeah... I hope so."

"Maybe when he gets back, you could tell him how worried you were."

"Tha's a good idea... should prolly kiss 'im too." Nye slurred, the intended joke sounding entirely too real.

Hershel's shoulders shook with restrained chuckles. "I think he'd like that."

Nye didn't respond, already asleep.

...

"Why is it always her?"

Mason didn't reply, shuffling through old documents in a filing cabinet to keep busy.

Toby sat, leaned against the door, hat in his hands. "It's always her. _Why is it always Mom_?"

Mason finally looked over, absently tearing off the corners of a random piece of paper. "The world loves to fuck the Conners over. That's why."

Toby scowled at the floor. "Sure seems like it."

Mason moved to sit next to his brother, taking his own hat off. "But Daryl's gonna get the meds. And Mom's gonna be okay."

Toby scoffed pessimistically. "Since when are you one for pep talks?"

Mason pursed his lips, running his thumb across the brim of his cap. "Since I got shot. And survived. Since Mom got shot. _And survived_."

Toby stared off into space, then nodded. "So what you're saying is, I'm next in line to get seriously injured." He joked.

"Psh," Mason waved him off. "I think me and Mom have maxed us all out on bad luck. If anything, you're gonna be like, the Batman of the apocalypse."

Toby gave Mason a genuinely bewildered look. "I- what?"

"You know, like," Mason waved his hand around, eyes narrowed as he looked for the right wording. "even though you don't have super-powers, nothing can lay a hand on you. Get it?"

Toby's mouth hung open, as he raised a brow. "Not even a lick of that made sense."

Mason pouted, crossing his arms. "Fine, be an asshole."

Toby laughed quietly at that, shaking his head. "So, wait, does that make you my Robin?"

Mason gasped, scandalized. "No! If anything I'm the Joker."

"W-what?" Toby sputtered through a laugh.

Mason grinned, proud of his assessment. "Yeah, screw Robin. At least the Joker knows how to have fun."

Toby opened and closed his mouth, then gave up and just laughed.

"You're insane!"

"As the Joker should be!"

Tucked all the way in the administrations office, neither teen could hear the gunshots coming from cell-block A.

...

When Nye awoke, it wasn't for any natural reason. Rather, it was the gunshots, screaming, and Walkers' growling.

As she opened her eyes, she was met with a thick red film over them, and had to rub them fiercely to dispel it. When her hands moved away from her eyes, she was met with a snarling Walker lumbering through her door, teeth knashing on the air tube that was down its throat, and sticking out of its mouth.

Nye forced herself upright, inhaling sharply, which only led to a debilitating coughing fit. Through her hacking, Nye looked around her cell for something to defend herself with, but came up with nothing.

Just as she was convinced she was going to have to fight it off with her bare hands, a voice down the hall called to the Walker.

"No, no Henry. Not there. Away from Nye."

Her eyes widened, and she scrambled even harder to get to her feet. Using the sink for support, Nye gurgled on her blood as she shouted,

"Lizzie!"

The Walker gone from her cell, Nye quickly darted out the door on unstable legs, looking on in horror as Lizzie, with a smile on her face, urged the reanimated Henry to follow her.

"What are you-" Nye's demand cut itself off as she fell to her knees, choking.

Lizzie finally looked concerned, but only on behalf of the brunette. "No Nye, it's okay! Calm down!"

But right after her assurance, Lizzie tripped over herself, falling down on her back. Immediately, the Walker dove on top of her.

As Lizzie screamed, Nye managed to get her footing. Appearing behind the Walker, Nye used all of the strength she had left to throw the Walker off of the girl. Falling over the railing, the Walker landed on a net of fencing, still alive.

Nye honestly had no clue why the fence was even there.

Hershel ran up the stairs, as well as he could, towards them. "Are you girls alright?"

Lizzie only panted, looking shaken up as Nye helped her stand.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" Nye quietly asked, brushing the now loose hair out of her face.

"I called him nice." Lizzie whimpered, instead of answering. "He didn't scratch Glenn. I thought... maybe he listens."

"Lizzie, where is Glenn?" Hershel asked urgently.

"His cell."

As Hershel moved to go to his son-in-law, Nye finally felt the world shift on its axis. Vision going dark, Nye fell, sprawling across the ground as she lost consciousness once again.

"Hershel!"

Looking back, the vet swore as he saw Nye on the floor. Lizzie stood over her, brows lowered in concern.

"Drag her into a cell!" He ordered, having to choose between her or Glenn.

Lizzie nodded, putting her arms under Nye's and pulling her into the closest one. Thankfully, Nye was barely more than skin and bones, so she wasn't that heavy.

As the blonde shut the barred door, she looked down at her friend.

Nye's eyelids were red, unlike the rest of her face, which was a milky tone. Fresh and dried blood was splattered in several places across her face, but most of it originated from her mouth. Her chest audibly rattled when she inhaled, making her sound bizarrely similar to a Walker.

The blonde haired girl cocked her head, kneeling down beside the older brunette. Lizzie reached a hand over, tracing the blood on Nye's face that was still wet.

A part of Lizzie hoped that Nye would die from the sickness, because surely, Nye would still be herself after becoming _different_. Mason and Toby wouldn't kill their mom in cold-blood. And of course Daryl wouldn't kill her either. And then everyone would finally understand.

Lizzie grinned.

She wondered if Nye would like rats, like the others did.

...

The group came back in the middle of the night, bringing with them the needed medicine. But Nye wouldn't see any of them until morning. Even as she was hooked up to the medication, she remained asleep.

Those in the administrations office who had showed no sign of being infected, were finally let out. Much to Mason and Toby's relief.

As the sun finally made it up over the horizon, the Walkers that had broken through the fence the night before, were finally all gathered up for disposal.

And because he was no longer needed for clearing out the undead, Daryl made his way to A block.

Hershel wasn't pleased to see him there, chancing getting sick, but he understood the man's motivation. Besides, this way they could keep Mason and Toby out, so long as Daryl was the middle man, trading messages between the trio.

He leaned against her doorway, watching as she breathed heavily. Eyes closed, and arm sticking out over the bed for an IV.

She was pale, looking only moderately better than before being treated.

"We were lucky."

Daryl looked over at Hershel, who stood beside him.

"It's a miracle she lasted as long as she did."

Daryl's chest tightened at that, as he looked back at her. "How close?"

"You sure you want to know?"

Daryl hummed lowly in his chest.

Sighing, Hershel tucked his hands in his pockets, looking thoughtful, yet somber. "She started showing signs only four hours after you all left. Bleeding from her eyes and mouth. From what I can tell, those are the warning bells, signalling not much time left."

Daryl's jaw clenched, eyes tracing the way her chest moved, showing she was still alive.

"But, she made it." Hershel reached up, rubbing his beard as he watched her in a way that resembled a proud, yet concerned parent. "I'm amazed her heart held out."

Daryl's head snapped to the left, as he silently looked at Hershel in shock. "She told you?"

Hershel smiled sadly. "No, she didn't need to. I know what a healthy heart sounds like. And I could tell she doesn't have one." He tugged on his suspenders. "It's weak. And I'm afraid that if she keeps up this habit of being bedridden, it won't last long."

Daryl sighed, looking back at the brunette. She probably didn't even realize the amount of stress she put him in, merely by existing.

Hershel watched him in silent consideration. "But, I take it, she told you?"

"Yeah. Back in winter."

Hershel nodded slowly, as his eyes dimmed. "Mason and Toby?"

Daryl shook his head, lips tightly glued together.

Hershel sighed, sending a silent apology to the two boys. Knowing he was going to have to keep Nye's secret from them too now.

"I don't think she knows, but I had to help restart her heart twice last night. Had to keep Lizzie on watch, calling for me whenever it stopped."

Hershel didn't mention Lizzie's strange reluctance to help keep Nye alive. But he had a bad feeling he knew why the young blonde was so hesitant. And it had something to do with how she treated Walkers.

Daryl swore softly, running a hand down his face in exhaustion.

Hershel nodded in agreement, wholeheartedly sharing his stance on being both exasperated with Nye, and just plain worried about her. But then, he slowly began to smile in remembrance. "She said some rather interesting things while you all were gone."

"One more word, an' I'll castrate you Doc."

Both men relaxed in relief, as Nye stared them down, having woken up and was now fully conscious. Her glare though, was less threatening than that of a puppy's. Especially with how sick she still looked.

Hershel grinned, whilst Daryl stepped back a little, seemingly sheepish for being caught checking up on her.

"I'll leave you two alone."

Before Hershel could leave, though, Nye sat up. "Wait."

The vet paused, looking back at her.

Nye's pale cheeks gained some color, as she looked down at her lap. "Thanks for everything, Pops."

Hershel opened his mouth in faint surprise, but quickly shut it with a smile. Nodding his head, he gave her a soft look. "No thanks needed Niagara. Just get better."

Neither objected this time, as Hershel walked away. When Daryl made no move to leave, Nye tucked her legs up, making room on the mattress.

"Know how the gremlins are doing?"

Daryl sat, leaning his back against the wall. "Yeah, Ace's doin' okay, but Smalls is still worried. Neither of 'em are sick."

Nye sighed, letting the tension in her shoulders go. "Good. How about you, how'd the run go?"

For a second, he almost told her about the herd that got close to getting them. He almost told her about Tyreese's near suicidal attitude during most of the trip. He almost told her about Bob risking his, and their lives, for a bottle of booze. He almost told her about how he was ready to kill the man for it, for his disregard of the ill, and how it could have led to _her_ death. He almost told her about how Carol was the one who killed Karen and David, and that Rick banished her as a result. He almost told her about how he nearly lost his mind with worry, some part of him convinced that they wouldn't get back in time.

He almost dumped everything on her. But her tired green eyes looked all too fragile in that moment.

Instead, he fished around in his pocket, pulling out something he found in the veterinary college. Holding it out to her, he waited for her reaction.

Nye carefully took the pinback button from him, flipping it around, and looking at the colorful graphic on the front.

 **Badass Nurse.**

The bubble font, paired with the vulgar nature of it, made Nye giggle. Looking up at him, she ignored the tickle in the corners of her eyes at such a small gesture.

"...Have I ever told you, you're my favorite?"

Daryl bit his lip, eyes widening a fraction. He remembered a time when Nye hated him. Or at least acted like it. But now, he would never get tired of her saying things like that. And how they made him feel.

As she sat there, smiling toothily at him, holding the button gently, as if it was some precious piece of glass, he was hit with a sinking feeling. A feeling so overwhelming it was terrifying. A feeling he didn't want to even _try_ to put a label on, for fear of breaking some sort of unspoken rule.

But, as Nye's green eyes bored into his, he knew he wouldn't be able to ignore it forever. He would have to face it eventually.

For now though, he was fine being what they were. He was fine, so long as he got to see that crooked smile everyday.


	30. Find them

Out, deep in the woods, a young girl ran. A messy mane billowed behind her, tresses as dark as her own shadow. Dirt caked her face, and body, her clothes fairing no better. Snarls and growls echoed after her, only spurring her on faster.

One moment, everything had been fine, calm even. Then, the Dead were on them, a whole herd. She got separated from the group, and had no idea if anyone other than her had made it. Though, she assumed that their leader must have gotten out alright, and their second in command too. They were both just too strong to be taken out like that.

As the girl ran, she withheld the anguished cries attempting to escape her. No one was coming for her, and she was all alone.

But, like a saving grace, she came up on a cabin, looking to be abandoned. Running up the porch steps, she threw herself into the door, busting it open. Immediately, she turned and closed the door behind her, locking it shut tightly.

The girl panted, amber colored eyes wide, and wet with unshed tears. As she brushed her long hair out of her face, she heard a new growl, coming from behind her.

When the girl turned, she was met with an unexpected sight. Instead of being face-to-face with the undead, she saw a large mass of white and brown fur.

Swallowing, the girl moved to face the adult Saint Bernard head on, and was surprised once more, as she took notice of the dog's strange vest.

 **Service Dog.**

Now, the girl wasn't that good at reading, as it wasn't one of the needed skills used to survive in the new world, but, she knew what the dog's red vest said, and what it meant.

Slowly, as not to startle it, the girl moved away from the door, chancing taking a few steps closer.

The Saint Bernard stayed still, as she inched closer. And when she hesitantly held out her hand for him to sniff, he very calmly stuck his head out, and did as such.

The girl cracked a rare smile as the Saint Bernard gave a lick to the back of her hand.

Despite the odds, it seemed she found the one still domesticated dog in the world.

In the following months, she would thank whatever higher power there may be, for letting her find Samson (as she found his tag to read). Without the massive dog, she likely wouldn't have been alive this long.

After two months together, the two had a routine going. Samson would go off searching for food (he often brought her back dead animals) while she hid. Currently, she was huddled in the hollow of a giant tree. The two days before, Samson had brought her a whole fish both times. The strange thing though, was that they had already been gutted, and de-scaled, as if another person had caught, and prepared them.

The sound of breaking twigs, and leafs russling made the girl look up from sharpening her knife. Samson came through the brush, another prepared fish held gently between his teeth. The girl smiled, sitting up and reaching outside the hollow to take the dead fish.

The moment her arm came into view outside the tree, she heard a soft gasp. A gasp of a live person.

The girl's arm shot back to her side at the noise. As she clutched her knive, she slowly peeked out of the hollow, looking up from under her bangs at the living person.

Samson calmly wagged his tail, dropping the fish from his mouth as he blankly watched the scene in front of him unfold. Him being a dog, meant he was completely ignorant to the importance of this meeting.

The girl narrowed her eyes in fear, as she looked over the new person.

The living, breathing human before her, was an adult, it appeared. A woman. The woman was staring right back at the girl in silent awe, and disbelief. She had hazel brown hair, that reached around her shoulder-blades. Under her furrowed brows, sat two wide green eyes. And atop her head, was a pair of worn out goggles.

The girl frowned, scooting further into the hollow as she saw the black pistol sitting in the woman's holster.

Seeing the girl's distress, the woman hurried to move her hand away from the weapon.

"Hey," She started softly, voice soothing, and holding the practiced cadence of a mother's. "I'm not going to try anything. I just wanted to see where he went with the fish, is all."

The girl bit the inside of her cheek, tensing as the woman slowly kneeled down, hands still up, and away from her weapons.

"I promise," She spoke quietly, giving a tender smile. "I'm not here to hurt you."

Suddenly, the girl noticed a slight, almost unnoticable movement over her shoulder. When she looked, her amber eyes widened.

A pair of light blue eyes looked back, small, and that of a baby's.

The woman noticed the look, and gave another smile. "This is Judith." She nodded to the baby strapped to her back. "It's... It's just me and her now."

The girl looked back to the green eyes, noting the way they had dimmed to a murky sort of green, the kind of color you would find in a swamp.

The dark, beyond saddened look lifted slightly, as the woman mustered up a smile. "But, it won't be for long. I know it. You wouldn't have happened to see anyone in the past few days, have you?"

The girl pursed her lips, giving a minute shake of her head.

The woman nodded sadly, as if not surprised, but still disheartened by the answer. Out of nowhere, though, the woman sat up straighter.

"Oh, I forgot." She said to herself, then held out her right hand to the girl.

The girl flinched faintly at the sudden movement, and the woman gave her another soft smile, still holding out her hand.

"Sorry I didn't introduce myself."

The woman's smile turned crooked, as a sort of light turned back on in her eyes, turning from that murky color, to a striking emerald.

"My name's Niagara."

...(Three days earlier)...

"Read 'em and weep, biatch."

Toby and Nye rolled their eyes, as Mason sat down a royal flush.

"Cheater" Toby grumbled under his breath, picking up all the cards, and reshuffling them.

"Pardon?" Mason goaded.

Just as Toby motioned to fling the deck at his brother, Nye reached over from her spot in bed, swatting Toby on the back of his head.

"Chill. At least you can say you didn't lose to _me_. Again."

As Toby put the deck back in the worn out box, Maggie poked her head in the cell, eyes going to Nye.

"I'm getting Glenn some water, you need anything?"

Nye grinned at the farmer's daughter, batting her eyelashes playfully. "You're a peach Mags. I'd just love it if you could end the apocalypse for me. Pretty please?"

Maggie rolled her eyes, giving a joking sigh. "I'll see what I can do."

"A peach through and through!" Nye shouted after her as she walked away.

Mason scoffed, getting to his feet. "Are you ever going to stop flirting with Maggie? You realize she's married, right?"

Nye waved him off. "I'm aware. But she'll break down and let me become her side-chick one day, I just know it."

"I can hear you!" Glenn yelled hoarsely from his cell right next door.

"Good! You should be afraid of me stealing your breathtaking wife! Be afraid, very afraid!"

Toby shook his head, though at this point, he couldn't even say he was exasperated anymore. "They made you do a psych-eval before handing us over to you, they had to have. So how the hell did you _pass_?"

Mason pointed violently at Toby as he turned to Nye, wide eyed. "Swear!"

"I- Would you just knock it off!"

Nye giggled as she watched them bicker, but she soon was wincing instead. "As cute as this is, I'm getting a headache."

As if a magic word had been spoken, both teens fell silent, watching her in concern.

"It's Toby's voice, isn't it? He gets pretty shrill sometimes."

Toby glowered, slowly turning to Mason as he viciously mimed strangulation at his brother.

Ignoring the dull throbbing in her skull, Nye closed her eyes and yawned. Inwardly, she wondered when Hershel would be back from helping Michonne with the Walker bodies.

"You two should check in on Daryl, he seemed kinda off this morning." Nye tiredly said, wanting to get rid of them, mainly because she felt like she was about to zonk out any second.

"You would know." Toby snickered under his breath.

Nye cracked an eye open, gesturing to the door. "'Nuff with your sass, begone."

Mason patted the top bunk above her. "Later Mom."

"Bye Mom." Toby echoed, giving her hand a quick squeeze.

The brunette smiled, opening both eyes as she waved to them while they walked out. "Bye boys. Love you gremlins."

The backs of their heads bobbed out of sight, and Nye finally relaxed some. She honestly hated it whenever they saw her sick. Or in any weakened state really. And while she always felt better with them around, she'd rather feel like shit, and keep them seeing her as this pillar of unwavering strength, than for them to see her crumble, and take some form of relief from it.

They'd seen her at her lowest just too many times. She didn't want them to get it in their heads that she needed to lean on them all the time. It should be the other way around.

It was then, just as Nye was settling into her mattress, the talons of sleep clawing their way into her mind, that the entirety of the prison rumbled ominously. Dust fell down over her, as she felt her bed vibrate harshly, and the booming sound of collision beat on her eardrums.

Any grogginess was completely obliterated as the prison shook. Shooting up, Nye thoughtlessly ripped out her IV, not at all bothered by the thick trail of blood now leaking down her arm. Running out of her cell, Nye struggled to keep her equilibrium as she basically jumped down the stairs. There was no questions flying around in her head, just a white buzzing noise, as she was driven to locate her kids immediately.

It didn't even cross her mind that this could be The Governor, until she ran out of the cell-block, and heard his low, threatening, southern voice.

"Rick! Come down here. We need to talk."

Nye stopped breathing, back slamming into the side of the prison, as she ducked from sight.

The brunette often times gave credit to herself, on managing her triggers. She wasn't a _totally_ crippled mess whenever she saw handcuffs, or was in a tight space. Sure, on the inside she would be panicking, but on the outside, she could typically keep up a facade of indifference. But this, hearing The Governor's voice, was _terrifying_.

He was the man who murdered Merle, Andrea, and so many others. He shot at Mason, and nearly killed her the same way. Nye has only felt the fear of death a few times, and she didn't like adding to the list.

A hand came up to her throat, as Nye tried to control her breathing. Lightly holding two fingers on her pulse, Nye grimaced at the speed her heart was going.

"It's not up to me!" Rick shouted across the field at The Governor. "There's a council now! They run this place!"

Peeking back around the corner, Nye's eyes widened as she saw just what the tyrannical pirate-wannabe was standing on.

 _They have a tank._

She supposed that explained the the booming shudder that just went through the prison.

The Governor cocked his head to the side, looking unconcerned by Rick's response. "Is Hershel on the council?"

Before anyone even moved, Nye had a horrible feeling she knew what The Governor's play was. And when one of his men dragged Hershel out of one of their cars, Nye never felt worse about being right.

"What about Michonne? She on the council, too?"

Nye's breath hitched, as Michonne was dragged out as well, put kneeling on the ground beside Hershel.

"I don't make decisions anymore!" Rick persisted.

The Governor gave a lifeless grin. "You're making the decisions today, Rick. Come down here. Let's... let's have that talk."

A shudder went down her spine, and Nye wished she could just forget ever hearing that voice. When she closed her eyes, trying to block out the scene in front of her, it backfired, as she was bombarded by the blood soaked memories from _that day_.

 _"Don't die. That's your only job."_

Nye's eyes opened, narrowed as she spurred herself forward. Running low to the ground, Nye made it back into the prison undetected. Going straight to the armory, then her room, she fought off any fatigue that hung off of her.

Taking her throwing knives, her broken wrench (of course), more ammo for her pistol, and finally Daryl's old crossbow, Nye left the safety of the concrete building once again, immediately moving back out to search for her kids.

Darting from car, to car, Nye slowly made her way over to the group by the fence in what felt like some sort of sick game of Frogger. They all watched Rick talk with The Governor, guns raised and ready to fire.

Nye felt a fearful spike in her chest as she saw The Governor holding Michonne's katana up to the side of Hershel's neck.

"You." Rick called, pointing out at a woman with short dark hair tied into tiny ponytails. Her dark brown eyes were wide, fearful, and comfortingly guilty. "You in the ponytails. Is this what you want? Is this what any of you want?"

Her lips parted, brows furrowed in concern. Nye had a good feeling that the concern was actually for the prison's inhabitants, and not her own people.

"What we want is what you got. Period. Time for you to leave, asshole." Some military looking man, with a camo hat, said as he sat inside the tank.

Rick shook his head, looking to The Governor's men desperately. "Look, I fought him before. And after, we took in his old friends. They've become _leaders_ in what we have here." He said vehemently. "Now you put down your weapons, walk through those gates... you're one of us. We let go of all of it, and _nobody dies._ "

Nye was only a short distance away from Daryl, Carl, Bob, Maggie, and Beth now. She only had to cross maybe forty more feet.

She was _so close_. She could feel her stomach tighten in anticipation, just like when she had had her gun up to The Governor's head, all those months ago. _She had been so close._

"Everyone who's alive right now. Everyone who's made it this far... We've all done the worst kinds of things just to stay alive. But we can still come back. We're not too far gone. We get to come back. I know... we all can change." Rick pleaded, voice strong, yet vulnerable. His need for this day to end without any bloodshed, was palpable.

Slowly, the katana began to lower.

A breathless, disbelieving, yet hopeful smile slowly started to worm its way onto Nye's face. She peeked farther over the car she was ducked behind, watching the scene intently.

Then, in what felt like slow-motion, The Governor looked directly at her, making clear eye-contact.

And in that split-second that their eyes locked, they slipped into the exact same wavelength. They both realized a truth that would cost them everything.

Nye was proof.

The smile fell, as Nye felt unimaginable horror fall down over her. Hitting her over the head like a baseball bat.

She was proof. She had the deeds of The Governor's transgressions etched permanently into her skin. She wore the scar that showed his true colors. She wore the scar that would unravel _everything_.

If told, his people may not fully believe it was him who did it, but it would surely place doubt. So long as Nye was alive, so long as she bared the scar, she was a liability he could not afford.

Any consideration swimming in his one good eye, evaporated. A dark, resigned expression replaced any softened features he may have shown.

The Governor looked back to Rick, whispering a single word with a sort of tame malice.

" _Liar_."

Nye didn't even see his arm move. All she saw was a quick glint shining off of metal, then... Blood.

Hershel's head cocked to the right, as the left side was severed. Arterial blood spurted out of the wound in high arches. The front of his shirt quickly started to sport a pool of red, as his blood poured down, seeping into the fabric.

Maggie and Beth screamed, clinging to the fence as they had to helplessly watch their father bleed out in seconds.

Somewhere, off in the distance, Nye thought she heard Toby, screaming in anguish.

" _No!_ " Rick fired the first shot, and like opening Pandora's Box, it unleashed hell on earth.

Screaming in all directions, everyone began firing at the other side.

Still hiding behind one of their cars, Nye blinked her tears away, swallowing her guilt, and focused her attention on the fight. Unloading her clip out onto the field, Nye felt a burning in the back of her throat as she realized she was dropping bodies left and right.

At some point in the chaos, Michonne crawled away, finding safety behind a vehicle. Shortly after, she took down one of The Governor's men, hands still tied, and took his weapons.

In a proud moment, everyone, even those once sheltered in Woodbury, all poured out of the prison, barring weapons of all shapes and sizes. Everyone was ready to fight, and die for their home.

Then, as if to prove that things can always get worse, the tank rolled through the fence. Taking down their only barricade from the undead.

Nye ducked back down after running out of ammo again. When she reached into the ammo box, she found just enough for one more clip.

Panting for breath, Nye was faced with a dilemma. Should she go looking for her kids? Or head to where she knew the other children were, and help them escape?

One option was selfish and called to her. The other was selfless, and had the appeal of a dead squirrel, compared to the first one. She knew the chances of finding Mason and Toby in all of this was slim to none. But if she went to the other kids, and something happened to hers, she would never forgive herself.

Then, she remembered an important detail to take into account.

Judith.

Throwing her head back into the car, Nye swore heavily, knowing that the second the infant entered her head, her mind was made up.

Mason was an excellent shot. Toby might be even better. Both boys had their guns on them. And both could take care of themselves.

But Judith, a baby, was defenseless.

Making sure the crossbow was still secure on her back, as well as her bag of knives, Nye shot to her feet, making a b-line towards the cell-block.

As she ran, she took down several more people. It made her sick that she didn't even know how many people she had killed now, having lost track.

 _"...the bad people, they don't keep count."_

Nye had to swallow bile.

The bus, filled to the brim, screeched passed her, and Nye didn't even bother trying to flag it down. She could only hope her kids were on it.

Skidding across the ground, Nye turned the corner, and raised her gun as she came face-to-face with someone.

It was immediately lowered, however, when she saw it was Beth.

" **Have you seen Judith?!** "

Both woman blinked, then deflated faintly.

"I've b-been looking, an' I c-can't-"

"Hey," Nye called over the gunfire, putting a firm hand on the teen's shoulder. "We're gonna find her, alright?"

Beth nodded shakily, tightening her hold on her rifle. "I-I saw Toby."

Nye went rigid. "Where!?"

Beth shook her head, trembling. "I-I don't... remember. B-but he was fine I think! He j-just didn't see me!"

Nye pursed her lips, but didn't say a word. Beth was shaken, to put it lightly, and was mourning her father as well. It was completely understandable that she couldn't remember.

"Okay," Nye said, voice wobbly. "We just... We have to..."

She wracked her brain, trying and failing to think of a plan. To at least think of the next step, but she was coming up empty.

"Let's just keep look-"

 **Bang!**

She heard Beth's shrill scream, and saw the look of terror on her face before Nye felt anything.

Taking a shaky step back, Nye looked down, and to the left.

The left side of her chest was already soaked, her bright yellow jacket turning a darker color, as blood seeped through.

 _Fuck._

"N-Nye!?"

"I-I'm..." Nye started, trying to convey to the girl that she was fine. Nye could feel blood soaking her back, so there was an exit wound. And while it looked like it hit her chest, maybe even her heart, it had really only hit her shoulder. The blood spreading only making it look more gruesome than it was.

"B-Beth, I-I'm..." This time, she trailed off because her knees hit the ground, giving out in her shock.

 _Shit. Fuck. God-damnit! I'm fine!_ She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, but her teeth were chattering.

Beth sucked in a wet gasp, taking a few steps back.

Nye reached up, putting her right hand over the gunshot. "J-just g-go..."

 _Shit, that sounded like a final request._

Beth hesitated, but she was smart, she knew that the kids were a higher priority than Nye. Especially if she thought the brunette was dying. So with only a second of thinking it over, Beth spun on her heel and started running.

 _Good. Get out of here Songbird._

Nye clenched and grinded her teeth together, forcing herself upright, and standing. Hand stemming the flow of blood rather well, Nye stumbled off in the opposite direction that Beth went. Splitting up meant better chances of finding the kids and Judith.

She soon learned that she made the right call, as she heard a baby's cry, not far from where she was.

Picking up the pace, Nye gave a breathless laugh in relief, as she came up on a car-seat sitting out in the open, cradling the youngest of the group.

"Hey there, Baby-Grimes." Nye whispered, kneeling down in front of Judith.

A small, chubby hand reached up to her, making a grabbing motion. The tiny action was all it took to make Nye crumble.

"L-let's go... We gotta leave kiddo." Nye squeaked out, tears rolling over her cheeks. Removing her hand from her gunshot, Nye unbuckled the car-seat with trembling hands.

Picking up Judith, Nye held her to the right side of her chest, keeping her as far from the blood as possible. Looking down, Nye frowned at the blood she left on the car-seat, accidentally making it look more like a crime scene.

"Here we go..."

Everything had gotten quiet too quickly, leaving a dull ringing in her ears. Squinting through the smoke, Nye had a specific place she needed to go, before leaving the prison entirely.

Through the thick fog of smoke, a mass of orange entered her view, and Nye felt herself relax by a fraction.

Fumbling in her pocket, Nye pulled out her keys. Unlocking Pumpkin's driver side door, Nye shimmied in, gently laying Judith down in the passenger seat.

Closing her door, Nye took a second to breathe. She could barely see four feet out the windows do to the thick smoke, and every so often, a Walker would limp into view, before disappearing back into the the wall of smoke.

Sitting there, covered in blood, mourning Hershel, and alone with Judith, Nye felt a certain feeling of helplessness she hadn't felt in years.

It was Shepherd all over again.

Shoulders and bottom lip beginning to quiver, Nye squeaked out her anger and sadness. She fought off full on sobbing, trying to keep quiet as to not startle Judith. Thick, fat tears rolled down her face in fast succession, as she had to rub her nose every three seconds.

It wasn't _fair_. None of it was.

She was no saint, but Nye knew she didn't deserve everything that has happened to her in her lifetime. From her mother's death, to this very moment, it seemed like she was only ever given happiness, _family_ , so the world could rip it away again, and laugh in her face.

She didn't know where Mason was. She didn't know where Toby was. She didn't know where Daryl was. She didn't know where Glenn was. She didn't know where Carl was. She didn't know where Michonne was. She didn't know a _single God-damn thing_. And it was destroying her.

Struggling to control her uneven breathing, Nye reached into the glove compartment, taking out the emergency roll of gauze there. Tugging away her jacket, Nye finally got a look at her wound.

As she expected, it was in her shoulder. Nothing more than a flesh wound.

With that in mind, Nye wasn't exceptionally careful with her patch job. Her mental state wasn't at its best, and it showed in how she cared for the injury. All she bothered doing was wrapping it up, using all the gauze, and after tearing up a shirt she found in the back, she tied a strip of fabric tightly around it for good measure.

Numbly, she reached into the backseat, taking out and filling a small duffle-bag with clothes.

Then, with nothing left to do, Nye knew it was time to leave.

And as if she hadn't lost enough today, she knew she couldn't take Pumpkin with her.

The van wasn't used for runs, so months ago, all her gas had been transferred to another car. As much as she wanted to, Nye wasn't willing to go scavenge for gas, not when she had Judith to look after.

Forehead hitting her steering wheel, Nye felt an outraged and despaired scream bubble up in her throat. But fearful of Judith's reaction, Nye stayed silent, choosing to breathe harshly through her nose instead.

Her next few actions were done numbly as well, as she tried blocking out what she was doing.

Getting a stray piece of paper, and pen from the glove compartment, Nye wrote a letter with shaking hands, ignoring the blood she was smearing in some places.

She didn't want it to be cheesy, but she also needed it to show her genuine love she felt for the vehicle.

 _Her name's Pumpkin. She runs on gas, and affection. Please take care of her._

 _-A goggle-wearing loser_

Sniffling, Nye folded the note, setting it on the dash, and after taking off the other ones from the keychain, she weighed it down with Pumpkin's key.

"Okay..."

Using the leftover torn up fabric, Nye tied together a makeshift baby cradle to her chest. After making sure Judith was held safely inside, and that it would hold, Nye opened her door, stepping out, and walking away. She forced herself not to look back.

Each step she took away from the prison, added more weight to her shoulders. Every breath she took outside the once sturdy fences, felt restricted. But the pats Judith lazily gave her chest, made things feel a little better.

That's what Nye needed to remember. She wasn't alone. So long as she had Judith, she wasn't alone.

Walking straighter, head held higher, Nye took Judith's tiny hand in hers.

"I'm going to keep you _alive_. I'm going to keep you _safe_. I'm _not_ going to lose you."

Nye's jaw set, her gait steady as she marched on, into the forest.

"And we're going to find them."

 _Because that's what we have to do._

* * *

 **Niagara + Judith: Injured. Alive. Together.**

 **Rick + Carl: Injured. Alive. Together.**

 **Daryl + Beth: Alive. Together.**

 **Tyreese + Lizzie + Mika: Injured. Alive. Together.**

 **Maggie + Sasha + Bob: Injured. Alive. Together.**

 **Michonne: Unknown.**

 **Glenn: Unknown.**

 **Carol: Unknown.**

 _ **Mason: Unknown.**_

 _ **Toby: Unknown.**_


	31. Not ever

"You two should check in on Daryl, he seemed kinda off this morning." Nye tiredly told them.

As her eyes closed, Toby looked over his shoulder to Mason, giving his curly haired brother an amused look.

"You would know." Toby snickered under his breath, getting a nudge from Mason.

As much as their hazel haired mother would deny being codependent on anything. It was still obvious how much she relied on the people around her being happy. Because if someone she cared about was less than okay, than she would be right there with them, sulking together in a storm cloud until she made things get better.

Nye cracked an eye open, gesturing lazily to the door. "'Nuff with your sass, begone."

The brunette's eyes fell back closed, as Mason patted the top bunk above her. "Later Mom."

"Bye Mom." Toby echoed, reaching down and giving her hand a quick squeeze. He didn't feel good about how cold it was.

The brunette smiled up at them, opening both eyes as she waved to them. "Bye boys. Love you gremlins."

With one last glance to her, the two walked out of the cell, heading off to find their favorite redneck. And hopefully on the way, speak to Hershel or Bob about Nye's improvement. Or lack thereof.

"She still looks like shit." Mason muttered in concern as they descended the stairs. His hands absently tugging on the hem of his shirt.

"I know." Toby sighed, fiddling with the pack of cards in his hands. "If this is her _after_ medicine-"

"Than what was she like before?" Mason finished lowly. Eyes on the floor as they walked.

Opening the door, the boys both squinted at the light shining brightly. Tucking the cards in his pants, Toby nodded in the direction of cell-block C as they walked out into the courtyard.

"I'm gonna try to find Daryl."

Mason hummed, rocking back on his heels. "I guess I'll go see if anyone needs help with the fence."

Toby paused, pursing his lips, and putting his hands deep in his pockets. "You know Mom doesn't like it when we work on clearing the Walkers."

Mason shrugged. "A lot of people are outta commission Tobes. We can't play favorites."

Toby narrowed his eyes. "Maybe, but-"

An ear-piercing explosion suddenly shook the prison, cutting off anything Toby was about to say. Dust and debris raining down, as screams carried from inside the cell-blocks.

Ducking to the ground and hiding behind some water barrels, the two gaped up at the concrete building they called home, staring up at the large hole the explosion made. Not two seconds later, one of the watchtowers exploded as well, the remains burning as fire crackled where there once were walls and a roof.

"T-Toby?!"

The younger of the two only shook his head, eyes wide and fearful.

"Toby!" Mason shouted again, grabbing his brother by the shoulders. "We gotta get Mom!"

With a blink, Toby seemed to reconnect to the situation. Thoughts flying through his head at what felt like the speed of light, Toby threaded his hand through his hair, and shook his head. "No! N-no, you go get Mom, I'll help get people on the bus!"

"But-"

"Mason!" Toby shouted. "Mom wouldn't want us putting her above everyone else! You said it yourself, we can't play favorites!"

Mason paused, swallowing the retort on the back of his tongue. Toby was right. Nye would be furious to find out she was treated as a higher priority. With an obscene amount of swears, Mason finally conceded.

"Alright! Fine! Go!"

Toby didn't waste any more time. Turning around, he dashed over to cell-block C, where he assumed the children would be.

Mason scowled down at the ground. But jumped harshly when he heard a southern voice shouting from passed the fence. When he looked, he paled considerably as he saw the tank the attackers had.

"Rick! Come down here. We need to talk."

Mason slowly stood to full height, eyes on the figure standing atop the tank.

The figure with an eyepatch.

Hand coming down to cover his left side, where jagged, scarred skin took up a chunk of space, Mason felt his blood boiling as he looked on at the man who tried to kill his mother.

"It's not up to me! There's a council now! They run this place!" Rick shouted back from behind the fence.

Mason took a step back, urging himself to run back to A block. But he had a feeling something bad was about to happen.

"Is Hershel on the council? What about Michonne? She on the council, too?"

A thick lump found its home in Mason's throat, where it threatened to asphyxiate him slowly and painfully, as The Governor had his men bring out Hershel and Michonne. Both were tied up, and forced to kneel down side-by-side.

"I don't make decisions anymore!"

"You're making the decisions today, Rick. Come down here. Let's... let's have that talk."

Struggling with himself, Mason finally broke his sight off of The Governor's small army. Turning his back to the attackers, Mason snuck his way back over to the door to A block.

Trying not to think about what could be going on outside, Mason entered the cell-block, darting up the stairs and down the catwalk.

"Mom! We have to-"

Mason's sneakers squeaked as he slid to a stop right outside of Nye's cell.

Panting for breath, Mason faintly shook his head, taking an unsteady step back.

She wasn't there.

Her bed laid empty. The blanket thrown down onto the floor, as if she hadn't been paying attention as she got up. Or, as if she had been in a rush. Then, there was her IV. The bag, tubing, and needle all laying on the floor, beside a small puddle of blood. Like she had unceremoniously ripped it out.

"Mason!"

Startled out of his stupor, Mason backtracked to Glenn's cell, following the man's shout.

Glenn was sat up halfway, still pale and sickly. "What's going on! What was that?"

"Have you seen Mom!?" Mason questioned, ignoring Glenn's inquiry.

Glenn nodded slowly. "Y-yeah, she ran out of here right after the- _whatever_ it was that shook the cell-block."

 _But that was like forever ago!_ He angrily thought to himself.

Ripping his hat off his head, Mason turned and kicked the wall violently. "Son of a bitch!"

"Mason! _What's going on_!?"

The curly haired teen hesitated, putting back on his baseball cap. "It's... There's no time, c'mon."

Taking Glenn's left arm, Mason threw it over his shoulder, supporting Glenn as he stood.

Helping the man stumble out the catwalk, and over to the stairs, gave Mason plenty of time to ask himself every question he dreaded an answer for.

 _Where's Mom? Where's Toby? Did Mom see what's going on? Is Toby evacuating everyone? What are we going to do!?_

Suddenly, gunshots, one after the other, pierced the air. It was almost like the innocuous sound of someone wringing bubble-wrap in their hands. Only this popping was much sharper, and held a darker tone.

"Mason! Something's wrong, and you need to tell me what it is!" Glenn demanded as they took the first step down.

Mason bit his tongue, feeling unable to answer him. His chest felt restricted, and he could tell he was an inch away from shutting down.

"Glenn!"

Maggie, tears streaming down her face, practically jumped up the stairs, taking Glenn's other arm over her shoulder, helping Mason carry her husband.

"What the hell's going on?" Glenn asked her, giving up on obtaining an answer from the teen beside him.

Maggie shook her head, panting through tears. "We have to get everybody out of here!" She replied, right before the wall to their left exploded. A gaping hole now letting light shine through into the cell-block.

"Where's Nye!?" Maggie yelled over all the gunshots and screaming.

Mason's face scrunched up in frustration, tears tickling the corners of his eyes. "I don't know! She's not here!"

Maggie didn't say another word, too tense and devastated to think of the possible places her friend could be.

The three charged out the door, almost carrying Glenn now. More explosions sounded behind them, destroying cell-block A.

Glenn looked around at everything going on, heart constricting harshly as he saw all the bodies already laid out in the field. But he felt his heart _lurch_ when he saw just who was attacking them.

He undersood why Mason couldn't bring himself to tell him.

The trio made it to the bus, where Maggie and Mason put Glenn.

The curly haired teen did a quick sweep of the bus' inhabitants, hands tightening into fists when he caught no sight of his mother or brother.

"Beth! Where's Beth?!" Maggie asked in panic, not able to spot her sister in the bus, where she was supposed to be.

"She went to find Judith!" The woman in the driver's seat told her, looking sorry for letting the blonde go.

" _Where_!?"

"We'll find her! She'll be okay." Glenn tried placating her, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"No." Maggie said throatily, taking Glenn's hands off of her, and stepping out of the bus.

"What? No, you're not going by yourself!" Glenn said desperately.

"I'll be right back." Maggie assured him, letting his hands slip from hers as she turned back, running out into the fight once again.

"Maggie..."

Mason bit his lips, marching passed Glenn, and back out the bus.

"No! Mas-"

"I have to find her!" Mason shot at him, ripping his arm out of Glenn's reach. "I have to find them both! You can't stop me!"

Glenn gave him a look that admittedly made the teen faintly sick. It was a combination of desperation, and disappointment.

Mason softened slightly. "I have to. I can't lose them. Anyone but them."

Glenn clenched his teeth, slamming a fist into the side of the bus' door. After a second, Glenn started to nod. But what Mason thought was him admitting defeat, was actually Glenn psyching himself up.

"Alright. Let's go."

Mason blinked, then immediately started to wrestle Glenn back down. "No! You're sick!"

"So's Nye." Glenn shot back, standing and stepping out of the bus. Once out, Glenn gave a sturdy pat to the side of the vehicle. "You guys go! We'll be right behind you!"

The woman behind the wheel gave him a sceptical look, but after a glance back at the children and elderly, she nodded, starting the engine.

Mason looked at him in disbelief as the bus drove away. "You're insane!"

Glenn nodded, not putting up any argument. "Doesn't matter if I'm insane. Just matters that we find them."

Mason squinted at him, handing him his extra revolver. "You're not just doing this for Mom and Toby."

It wasn't a question, and Glenn didn't treat it like one. "I gotta help Maggie too. To find Beth and Hershel." He said, taking the offered gun.

Mason winced, having almost forgotten about the position he saw the vet in last. "Okay. Just make me a promise."

Glenn gave him a sincere look. "Anything."

Mason sucked in a breath, tightening his hold on his pistol.

"We don't stop looking. Because she won't either."

Glenn sucked in a breath, letting it out after a second, and nodded.

Mason grinned faintly. "Good. Don't worry, I know-"

...

"Alright! Fine! Go!"

Toby didn't waste any more time. Turning around, he dashed over to cell-block C, where he assumed the children would be.

The freckled teen figured the first place to look, cell-block C, would at least have Judith there. And being the only infant in the whole prison, Judith was top priority.

At least, that's what he kept telling himself, avoiding all thoughts about how he was abandoning his family.

 _But Judith's family._ He argued with himself. _The Grimes' are. The Greenes are. Daryl is. Glenn is. Michonne is. Everyone here is family now._

Bursting through the doors, Toby frowned when he saw no one. The cell-block completely empty.

Though he rarely swore, Toby let out several curses as he couldn't find a single person hiding in their cell. Making something of his trip into C block, Toby armed himself with a large machine-gun. Much more powerful than his handgun.

Seconds after he stepped back out into the courtyard, did he freeze, wide-eyed at the sight before him. Limbs feeling sluggish, Toby forced himself forward, running to the fence.

The Governor (who he identified by the eyepatch) was currently staring down Rick with his one good eye, holding Michonne's sword up to Hershel's neck. The two were trading words that Toby couldn't catch from the distance.

Lifting the barrel up, and through the fence, Toby closed one eye and aimed at the small army flanking the madman.

Toby wondered if the people knew who they were working for. But he soon doubted it, because if they knew about his history of gunning down his own men, Toby didn't think there would be many people lining up to work for him.

Rick continued to plead his case, actually looking like he was getting through to The Governor. The sword slowly started to lower, and Toby felt hope bubble up in his chest.

But, The Governor's sight strayed, and locked onto someone else.

When Toby looked, he sucked in a sharp breath

Nye, at a distance that felt too huge to even attempt to run for, sat ducked behind a car. Her goggles glinting in the sunlight, almost like a beacon.

For a second, it was like no one breathed. All watching, and waiting for The Governor to move.

Then, his lips formed a single word Toby couldn't make out. And with a swing too fast to stop, he cut half of Hershel's neck open.

A strangled, agonized scream tore through Toby's throat, watching as Hershel fell sideways, already covered in his own blood.

Shots were traded between groups as soon as Rick fired the first shot. His guttural " _No_!" Echoed through the courtyard, making it all the way back to Toby.

The machine-gun kicked back into Toby's shoulder violently, feeling like a jackhammer when he held the trigger down. He watched, nearly apathetic as bodies dropped from his bullets. In the future, when the adrenaline would die down, Toby would be sick to his stomach to realize he felt no guilt for killing these people.

He wouldn't feel guilty. And that was what would haunt him. Because the last thing he wanted, was to turn into anything resembling his father.

After countless bodies began to litter the courtyard, Toby gasped in fear, when he noticed Nye was no longer where he last saw her.

When that led to him doing a quick headcount of his group, he finally remembered the other hostage The Governor had.

Unable to locate Michonne from his distance, Toby growled lowly in his throat, leaving his spot at the fence, and running to the nearest gate.

Everyone but Michonne was armed. So he wasn't going to take a breath until he knew she at least had a weapon on her.

The closest way out of the fence wasn't actually through a gate, but instead it was the gaping hole the tank made as it rolled through into the courtyard. The bus sped passed him, veering off and going through the actual gate out of the prison.

Comforting himself with the knowledge that the evacuation was successful, despite his failed hand in it, Toby shot down any Walkers in his way as he ran out into the field.

The Governor's men were no longer outside the fence. The tank, several cars, and all of his people having charged the prison. All that remained was a few of their abandoned cars, and...

Toby stuttered to a halt, legs almost tangling themselves as he went from sprinting, to a full-stop.

A gag wound its way up in his throat, tempting him to vomit, and weep at the same time. And yet he couldn't even get himself to breathe in that moment.

Teeth gnashed, clicking together loudly. White eyes looked up at him, swimming with hunger. No moans or growls of a usual Walker could be heard, because of the detachment from his lungs.

Kneeling down, Toby sat his machine-gun on the grassy ground. With numb hands, the teen took out his switchblade, flicking it open.

Closing his eyes as much as he could, while still able to see a blurry outline, Toby braced his left hand on the side of Hershel's face, putting the tip of his knife to the base of his skull.

Closing his eyes fully, Toby grimaced, turning his upper half as far away as he could, and forced the knife through. He was met with fierce resistance, but when it gave way, Hershel's jaw finally stilled.

Shoulders shaking, Toby, eyes still closed, scrambled back away from Hershel's body, and severed head. He didn't bother taking his knife out. Never wanting to hold it in his hands again.

The gunfire had long since stopped, leaving an eery silence in its wake.

Taking several deep breaths, even though he knew it would do nothing for the tightness in his chest, Toby tried blocking out the intense smells of copper, gunpowder, and smoke.

Not moving from his place on the ground, Toby looked back at the prison. And despite what he already knew it went through, he still blanched at the fire and destruction, all surrounded by their torn down fence.

His lips parted, as he couldn't see anyone alive. The prison and courtyard now only filled with Walkers, after everyone vanished into the surrounding woods.

Swallowing thickly, Toby stood on stiff legs. He was now left with two choices.

Should he go back into the prison, and try to find someone. Or, should he too, go out into the woods.

His heart wanted to go back, and locate his family. But his head knew that anyone still in the prison was long dead.

So, he was alone.

Toby turned, avoiding looking at Hershel's body, and started walking towards the woods. While he wasn't crying in the normal sense, his shoulders still jerked up and down, as if he was struggling to keep something in.

With no supplies, and armed with only a machine-gun, handgun, and a pocket of ammo, Toby disappeared into the thick foliage inclosing their demolished home.

"We'll be okay," Toby whispered reassuringly to himself, soldiering on. "Because-"

...

 _"I want you two to make me a promise."_

 _Mason nodded, hand tightly clasped in her left one._

 _Toby hummed in agreement, his hand swinging with her right._

 _She gave them a smile, wide and bright, but hiding the underline worry beneath._

 _"Promise me, that if you ever get lost, you'll wait for me to find you."_

 _Mason nodded again, accepting it without question. "Okay. I promise."_

 _Toby though, was a little more hesitant, but agreed anyone. "Yes ma'am, we promise."_

 _She smiled wider, some of the worry slipping away. A red leaf fluttered down, landing in her hair. But she made no move to get rid of it._

 _"But... Never, ever, risk your safety while waiting. If you have to leave, than leave. I'll still find you."_

 _Mason's hand tightened around hers, uncertainty now swimming in his eyes as to why she was saying all of this._

 _Toby gazed up at her, brows drawn in concern. "Nye, we're only going camping. You don't have to worry so much."_

 _The leaf left her hair, swept away by the wind. Nye stopped walking, looking around at all the beautiful Fall scenery, before her eyes settled back down on them._

 _"I know."_

 _Her hands moved up from their hands to cup their cheeks, her smile now sad, and eyes glistening. "But I'm not taking any chances."_

Not ever.

...

" **-** **She'll find us.** "


	32. The girl

The ground wasn't very solid. Recent showers making the dirt muddier than normal. Due to this, Nye's pair of sky blue converse shoes, now had mud caked on under and around the soles. Which did little to help keep traction.

Her left shoulder was killing her, but she refused to acknowledge it, or even check under the bloody bandage. Judith was asleep, head resting in the crook between her right shoulder and neck. The makeshift baby sling working well enough that Nye didn't need to exude effort in holding her up.

Nye was long passed the point of being tired. A bone deep exhaustion had settled over her before morning had even come. She had been walking nonstop all throughout the night, and now well into midday. Her legs felt like lead, numbed and tingly. They had stopped hurting awhile ago, the pain replaced with stiffness and discomfort.

Judith stirred, fisting at her shirt, before thankfully falling back asleep.

That was another problem. Judith, at some point or another, was going to start crying in need of food. Of which Nye had none of.

Just when Nye started to comfortingly stroke Judith's hair, her right leg buckled, knee slamming into the ground jarringly.

Judith made a soft whine in the back of her throat, and Nye winced, waiting for the sign she was going to have to start running.

But miraculously, Judith settled, fisting her shirt tighter as she started suckling in her sleep.

A shuddering sigh puffed out of Nye's lips, eyes closed in relief. She braced her right hand up against a nearby tree, hoisting herself back up. Her legs wobbled tremendously, knees almost clacking together. When Nye finally stood straight, she fought to ignore a tickle in the back of her throat.

It was the moment she turned to continue down the rough dirt path in front of her, that she caught sight of something through the trees.

Light reflected off of a shaky surface, the near blinding white danced, waving randomly in and out of focus.

Taking a chance, Nye left the path she was on, carefully stepping over rocks and branches, all the while getting closer to what she hoped it was.

Breaking through the thick trees, she found herself on a thin shore. In front of her now was a lake, around half the size of a football field. The water gently lapping up the shore, almost reaching her feet. The light danced off of the water, swaying chaotically, and bright enough to leave after-images when she shut her eyes.

Nye closed her eyes and took a deep breath, the familiar smell of mud and water soothing her. It was a tad bit different from how her creak smelled, but it was close enough.

When she opened her eyes, she spotted a structure sitting on the other side of the water.

A lake-house.

Several joints popped, as Nye finally felt herself relax.

...

Nye liked to believe in luck. Both kinds, good and bad.

So whenever something disastrous happened, she would try to reassure herself by the thought of karma. If a shit-storm comes and wrecks everything, there better be equal restitution, lest she bring hellfire down on everyone involved. So, when Nye managed not only to find a lake-house, but a lake-house filled with fishing gear, and untouched supplies, she felt vindicated.

Was it anywhere near what the universe owed her? No, not even close. But she'd take what she could get.

The house wasn't very big, with only a living-room, a walk in kitchen, a bathroom, and two bedrooms she had yet to check.

Whoever had lived there, was clearly a fan of Hawaiian culture. There were all sorts of different statues that Nye would never be able to correctly name, but could definitely recognize as being (or at least resembling) Hawaiian art. The house even looked like it was built expressly to look like one you would find somewhere on one of the islands.

After checking everywhere but the two rooms, Nye gently set Judith down on the living-room couch. Wrench in hand, she went to the closest door, knocking on it three times, then listened.

Sure enough, there was an immediate response. It was a throaty groan, higher pitched and sounding like a female Walker. Seconds later, there was a rustling, and then scraping at the door.

Nye sighed, having seriously wished the house would be empty. After some debate, she decided it would be better to just get rid of the Walker now, rather than later.

Swapping her wrench for a knife, Nye swung open the door without hesitation, arm snapping out like a cobra, and piercing through the Walker's right eye.

The Walker dropped, landing on the ground at an odd angle. It looked old, similar to how Martin had. It was obvious that the Walker had never made it outside of the room. And going off of the poorly bandaged bite mark on her left wrist, it was clear why.

A shudder ran down her spine, and Nye quickly pushed the limp body back into the room, closing the door behind it. She would rather sleep on the couch than in that room.

After knocking on the other door, unable to hear a response, Nye went back into the living-room, finally setting down all of her gear onto the coffee table. Without it all weighing her down, she felt a million times lighter. Genuinely moaning at the way her muscles finally took a breath of relief, Nye flopped down on a chair to the right of the couch.

Judith was still sleeping, thumb in her mouth as she continued to suckle in her sleep.

For a long time Nye sat in that chair, silent and thoughtful. Forcing away any and all musings about where her family could be, and how they were doing. After the third time Judith made a hum of discontent, Nye made herself get back up.

A sharp pain rocketed through her, the few minutes of rest accentuating the pain she felt in every muscle. Avoiding the temptation of laying down and sleeping for forever, Nye walked into the kitchen, finally checking the cabinets.

A choked wheeze fell out of her mouth, eyes blown wide at what she found there.

Formula. Jarred baby food. And cans upon cans of chicken noodle soup.

A short incoherent babbling mess tore through Nye's mouth, until she forced her mouth closed and looked around frantically.

 _I'm being punked, right?_

There could be no other explanation, because while Nye believed in karma, she knew it never acted this fast.

But, slowly she started noticing things she hadn't before. Like the way all the drawers and cabinets had locks on them, or how it didn't seem like there were any sharp corners anywhere, and how any remotely fragile looking item was high up away from potential grabby hands.

"It's baby-proofed." Nye whispered in awe.

Judith picked the perfect time, and started crying the moment after those words left her mouth.

Almost on autopilot, Nye walked over and picked up the youngest Grimes, rocking her gently. Back in the kitchen, Nye tested a hunch. Opening a closet that sat right next to the fridge, Nye inwardly cheered as there sat a collapsible high-chair.

Setting it up one handed, while Judith screamed in her ear wasn't exactly pleasant or easy, but Nye managed.

After securing her in the seat, Nye opened a random jar of baby food (after uselessly checking the expiration date).

Now, came the actual hard part.

Judith had never had solids before, only ever formula. She had only recently reached the age to start adding the jarred stuff to her diet. And now thanks to the circumstances, it was Nye who was going to have to have this battle, as opposed to Rick or Carl.

"Alright. I'll respect you, so long as you respect me."

Judith obviously made no response, crying as she gummed on her own fist.

Nye sighed, twisting open the jar and started mixing up the separated goop with a bright green baby spoon.

"This shit's foul, sorry kid."

Scooping up a tiny glob, Nye braced herself for the war ahead.

...

"You're fuckin' demonic. I love you, but holy shit."

Southern accent on full force, Nye sat back in her chair, tired beyond belief and covered in baby food. The jar was completely empty, and in the end Judith only ate a little over a tablespoon of it.

The jar clinked on the wooden table, as Nye stood, unbuckling Judith from her high-chair. The infant in question was sound asleep, tuckered out from putting up such a fight.

Cleaning her face off with a dish-towel, Nye set Judith back down on the couch, letting her rest.

Rocking back on her heels, Nye chanced a quick peek into the fridge. And while it led to one of the worst smells she ever experienced to burst out, it was worth it as she snagged three water bottles from the door.

Coughing harshly, she told herself it was only because of the pungent smell.

Shaking up a baby bottle of formula, Nye leaned her hip against the counter, planning her next move. And after spotting the fishing pole tucked away in the corner of the living-room, she settled on what to do.

Nye could only keep Judith alive, if she was. Which meant she needed to eat. Wanting to save the chicken noodle soup incase of emergencies, fishing in the lake seemed like her best bet to keep herself fed.

Twenty minutes later, she found herself sitting on the shore, Judith laid right next to her on a baby-blanket, asleep and suckling on her bottle.

Before long Nye had her pillowcase that she kept in the water, full of wiggling fish. And after catching the fifth one, she realized that she wouldn't need that many. Because it was only her that could eat them.

Chest twisting painfully, Nye brought everything inside, Judith carefully cradled in her right arm.

To an outside observer, it looked as if it was just a normal mother and daughter living off the land.

The sun started to set, shining through a kitchen window as Nye absently went over the motions. Killing them quickly, de-scaling, then gutting. After some serious thought, Nye took off the oven's biggest burner, filling the empty space with paper and small twigs from outside. And yes, setting a fire in the house was not exactly smart, but it was the best she could do now that it was too dark out to cook outside.

Fire crackling in the burner, and Nye took a random skillet and set it over the flame. Tossing a couple fillets of fish in. She was unconcerned about the taste, or if they burned, so long as they were edible.

 _"It's actually not that far off from Nye's cooking."_

 _"You said you loved it when I cook!"_

 _"Yeah, because you would screw it up so bad, we'd always end up ordering pizza."_

Nye winced, teeth digging into her bottom lip to keep it still.

A sudden and loud sound startled Nye out of her revere. Nails scraping against the front door, followed by a strange whining, that sounded nothing like a Walker.

Nye squinted at the front door suspiciously, reaching and turning the dail of the burner off, then immediately flushed and berated herself for said instinctive action.

Stepping away from the oven, Nye wandered over to the door, peeking out the window.

A blink, then two more, and Nye finally relaxed. But new questions emerged.

 _Is that really a Saint Bernard?_

Not only was it a living breathing Saint Bernard, but it had a dirtied Service Dog vest on. He/she sat right outside the door, tail wagging, and in a way looking like he/she expected to be let in.

Nye narrowed her eyes, trying to ignore her inner animal lover.

But it was no use.

With a wary sigh, Nye went back and grabbed one of her spare fish to give to him/her.

 _Not like I'll be needing it._

Unlocking the door, Nye cracked it open only three inches, tossing the fish outside, then immediately slamming the door back shut.

The Saint Bernard's tail wagged faster, as he/she leaned down and engulfed the fish in his/her mouth. Much to Nye's confusion though, he/she didn't eat it, only holding it in between his/her teeth very carefully.

Before Nye could do anything, the Saint Bernard turned and dashed back into the surrounding woods, disappearing into the darkness.

Silently musing over if the dog could have been a mom, looking for food to feed her pups, Nye leaned on the door, staring off into space.

Everything was suddenly so quiet. Judith was sound asleep, the dog was no longer scratching at the door, the fire crackling was near silent, and she couldn't even hear crickets anymore.

An unsettled feeling filled her stomach, and rightfully so, as she heard something concerning not two seconds later.

Nye swallowed, leaving the door and following the sound. Which led her back to the room she never checked.

Brows drawn in surprise, Nye leaned her head in, placing her ear up to the door. Before, everything around her had been too loud, overshadowing the noise. But now that everything was hushed with nightfall, she could hear the minuscule sound emanating from behind the door.

It was a Walker. She could tell that much. But it sounded weak, and frail. Even more so than the woman in the other room.

Before she gave it more thought, and let the puzzle pieces slide into place, Nye opened the door, knife raised.

The wooden plank creaked, as it revealed the room inside. It was dark, no light to be let in through the windows now that the sun had set. As Nye's eyes adjusted to the darkness, she looked around at the-

Heart leaping up her throat, Nye blanched, throwing herself out of the room and slamming the door shut behind her. Back pressed against the wood, Nye swallowed back every attempt her stomach made to lose the contents inside.

Sliding down the door, a trembling hand came up to cover her mouth, the soft breathy moans now sounding so much worse than they had before she knew what it was.

Everytime she closed her eyes, she saw it.

She didn't get any rest that night.

...

Out in the woods, a little girl finally went to sleep with a full stomach. Cuddled up to her furry guardian angel.

...

A sword sliced through Walker after Walker, dropping what had to be over two dozen. Dreadlocks spun around her, as Michonne cried out with every swing.

"No! No! _No!_ "

Surrounded in Walker bodies, Michonne thoughtlessly killed the last two. The two that she had tied up for camouflage.

Her shoulders jerked, as she tipped her head back, looking tearily up to the sky.

It was too bright and cheerful. Barely a cloud in sight.

It should have been raining. Anything else was an insult to the losses her group had suffered. The losses her family suffered.

There was no hope, was there? She was alone again, just like what always happened. She lost Mike, and _him_. Then she lost Andrea. And now, she lost everyone. There was no one left.

"Michonne?"

Her eyes snapped open, and her quivering lip stilled. Slowly looking back down, she found herself hoping, despite what hope proved to be worth in the new world.

A machine-gun lowered, having been raised in the first place to help kill the Walkers. Behind it were two wide brown eyes, framed by moles and freckles you would only ever notice if they were pointed out to you.

Toby stood, dirty and armed heavily, but still somehow managing to look like the pinnacle of childhood innocence.

Michonne dropping the limp rope in her hand, sheathing her sword clumsily as she took a stilted step forward.

At first she toyed with the idea that this was a fever-dream, brought by her lack of sleep the night before. But all it took to relieve her worries, was Toby's smile.

His smile was tired, weighed down, and filled with deep sadness. Which told Michonne that it really was Toby's knife she found in Hershel's skull.

But despite it all, he was standing right in front of her, smiling.

And she found it in her to smile back.

Even though a thick cloud of mourning hung over them, overshadowing them completely, they both smiled at each other. Pitiful as those smiles may be, they were there.

Toby dropped the machine-gun to his side, running to her without preamble.

His trembling form hit hers, as they clung to each other desperately.

Mason and Nye's absence was not missed. And Michonne gripped him tighter as a result.

His shaking body and mute sobs was all it took to spur her on, leading her lips to move without thought.

"I found tracks."

...

Ignoring your problems never helped.

If only someone had told Nye that.

The room had been ignored the moment she got up from the ground. What sat inside was pushed to the back of her mind, for fear of shutting down.

Sleep still alluded her for the most part, two nights having already passed, with her only getting four hours of sleep between the two.

Nye sat out on the porch, waiting for the Saint Bernard's third appearance. Both times he showed up, Nye would give him one of her spare fish. And not once did he (she finally checked the gender) eat it in front of her. Instead he would just run back off into the woods.

And thanks to _the room_ , Nye needed a distraction. So her plans for the day included following the dog around until she learned all his secrets. Was it a very sane distraction? No. It wasn't. But Nye didn't care.

The bushes rustled, and the Saint Bernard wandered over, tail wagging.

While Nye loved animals, she wasn't stupid. So the whole time she held out the fish, she also had her gun trained on him.

Just like before, he carefully took the fish between his teeth, and didn't waste time leaving her.

Nye stood, wincing as a dizzy-spell hit her. After it passed, she double-checked that Judith was secure where Nye had her on her back. Gun in hand, she jogged after the dog, careful not to get too close incase he decided to be possessive.

They all walked for a long time. And just when Nye was fearing she may have to abandon her plan so she wouldn't lose track of where the house was, the Saint Bernard took a sharp right, ambling over excitedly to a dead tree.

Nye paused, head cocked to the side as he stood at the mouth of a large hollow in the tree, his neck stretched out. Kind of like he was waiting for someone to take-

A small arm, clothed in a ragged sleeve, poked out.

Nye wasn't even aware she gasped, until the arm shot back inside the hollow.

After a few seconds, a small form peeked out. Two amber eyes stared up at her warily from under her choppy black bangs. A knife was held tightly in her hands, ready to stab and slash if needed.

Nye looked down at the girl in awe, lips parted as she took in the first person other than Judith that she had seen since the prison.

The Saint Bernard calmly wagged his tail, dropping the fish from his mouth as he blankly watched the scene in front of him unfold. Him being a dog, meant he was completely ignorant to the importance of this meeting.

The girl narrowed her eyes in fear, as she looked Nye over. Her eyes fearful, and body twitching with nerves. Suddenly, the girl frowned, scooting further into the hollow as she saw the black pistol sitting in Nye's holster.

Immediately seeing the small girl's distress, Nye hurried to move her hand away from her weapons. Raising them up in a show of peace.

The girl didn't look very comforted by the action alone. So Nye quickly adopted her most comforting voice, as not to scare the kid away.

"Hey," She started softly, voice soothing, and holding the practiced cadence of a mother's. "I'm not going to try anything. I just wanted to see where he went with the fish, is all."

The girl bit the inside of her cheek, tensing as Nye slowly kneeled down, hands still up, and away from her weapons.

"I promise," Nye spoke quietly, giving a tender smile. "I'm not here to hurt you."

Then, the girl's gaze shot up over Nye's shoulder. Amber eyes widening a fraction as she locked them with Judith's.

Nye noticed the look, and gave another smile. "This is Judith." She nodded to the baby strapped to her back. "It's... It's just me and her now."

Nye deflated minutely, eyes on the ground and following a random ladybug on its journey through the grass. The heavy feeling of loss latched onto her, but Nye did her best to shake it off. An idea hit her though, and she looked back up at the girl.

Nye mustered up a smile. "But, it won't be for long. I know it. You wouldn't have happened to see anyone in the past few days, have you?" She asked, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice.

The girl pursed her lips, giving a minute shake of her head. Still watching her distrustfully.

Nye nodded sadly, not surprised, but still disheartened by the answer. Out of nowhere, though, she remembered something. Internally reprimanding herself, she sat up straighter.

"Oh, I forgot." She said to herself, then held out her right hand to the girl.

The girl flinched faintly at the sudden movement, and Nye gave her another soft smile in apology, still holding out her hand.

"Sorry I didn't introduce myself."

She could do this. She had done it a million times before. This was no different.

Nye's smile turned crooked, hoping and praying that she could actually make something work for once, and get this girl someplace safe.

"My name's Niagara."

The girl gave no outward indication that she understood, or even heard what Nye said. But it may have been simply that she didn't care.

With a dry swallow, Nye dropped her rejected hand.

In the distance, thunder rolled. The gray clouds on the horizon getting closer.

Thankfully, that gave her an in.

"Okay. I know you have no reason to trust me, but I'm not asking you to." Nye started off, determined to get the little girl to safety. "I'm just asking for you to let me help. I have shelter, and I can take you there."

The girl's amber gaze flickered back up to Judith, and for a second, it looked as if she was considering it. The next rumble of thunder helped, in that it reminded the girl of the upcoming summer storm.

Catching her look of contemplation, Nye took a calming breath, focusing on not scaring the girl away with her persistence.

"Look, I don't know what you're capable of, and I'm not about to risk Jude's safety by finding out. So _please_ , for now at least, let me help you."

The girl's lips parted, and her brows drew together as she seemed to relax slightly. A single raindrop fell down, landing on her nose.

Nye panted faintly, having gotten worked up by her speech. More rain started to fall, landing on her goggles.

The girl sat up, and after a moment of hesitation, she got to her feet.

Nye grinned, standing as well. "It's a bit of a walk." She warned, holding out her hand.

The girl looked at the offered hand strangely, walking passed Nye instead of taking it.

The brunette pursed her lips, sighing. The Saint Bernard merrily trotted after the girl, walking at her side.

As Nye said, the walk lasted awhile. By the time they reached the lake-house the rain had upgraded from a trickle to a light pour. Nye took to holding her right hand over Judith's head in a futile effort to keep the baby dry. The girl walked on, not bothered by her now wet hair and clothes.

Nye opened the door, gun raised just incase. But all the supplies looked untouched, so she put it back in its holster.

"So, how do you feel about chicken noodle soup?"

After not receiving a response, Nye looked back at the girl.

Matted black hair clung to her face, tangled and dirty. Her amber eyes never stayed in one spot long, moving everywhere as she took in everything. Her baggy jeans and hoodie hung off of her thin frame, wet and weighed down. Shivers wracked her body, violently enough that she was shaking off water.

Nye frowned when she noticed how red the girl's face was.

"Hey, do you have a fever?" She asked softly, carefully setting down Judith and walking towards the girl.

Nye went to put the back of her hand to the girl's forehead, but the small ravenette flinched, reeling back before Nye could make contact.

Nye's frown deepened, as she reluctantly moved her hand away.

"There's... there's some clothes in my bag. If you want to change out of those wet ones."

The girl hesitated, wringing her hands. A moment later she nodded, wanting to remove any and all moisture on her body.

Nye smiled slightly, watching her digging into her bag for something to wear. "So you _can_ understand me?"

The girl paused, going stiff.

Nye shrugged, leaning against the kitchen counter. "It's fine if you don't want to talk. But could you at least tell me your name?"

The girl didn't reply, taking an armful of clothes and running off out of sight.

Reaching down and absently petting the dog, who's tag apparently read Samson, Nye closed her eyes and hung her head.

"This is gonna be harder than Ace and Smalls. Isn't it?"

Samson wagged his tail.


	33. Find you first

**Guess what! This is the first ever chapter with no appearance of Nye! Ace and Smalls are leaving the nest!**

* * *

They walked up the porch, gait slow and cautious, staring up at the house hopefully.

Toby made a move towards the door, but Michonne grabbed his shoulder. When he turned to her in question, and followed her line of sight, he inhaled sharply.

Through the window and sitting inside the house, they could see Rick, battered and bruised. And next to him sat Carl, talking to his father with a small smile on his face.

Toby felt the air 'whoosh' out of him, relief and disappointment fighting for dominance in his chest.

The two stepped up to the door. Michonne solidly knocked three times, fist trembling as she lowered it back to her side.

Toby stood beside her and shuffled his feet, machine-gun hanging at his back, as he wrung the the black strap in his hands.

There was a quiet ruckus going on behind the door following Michonne's knock. And after a second, the door creaked open.

Rick's split lip broke again, spilling more blood as he practically beamed at the two. The smile had to have hurt his face, but he didn't seem to care. Carl's reaction was even better, as the sheriff's son darted through the door and threw himself at the two new arrivals.

Toby rested his chin on Carl's shoulder, feeling the older teen's muscles rolling as he refrained from either crying or laughing.

After being let in, everyone quietly traded their stories as they ate. Apparently Rick had been beaten up by The Governor, who was definitively dead now. He then found Carl and they hightailed it out of the swarmed prison.

No one spoke Judith's name.

Toby didn't share his side, letting Michonne tell the father and son how they met back up.

Everyone felt the grief hanging off of Toby. And his hopelessness of finding Nye and Mason himself was obvious, going off of how he spoke of no plan to search for them.

He was holding out hope for Nye to pull through on her promise. Which meant all he needed to do was sit and wait.

"Have you found anything?" Michonne asked lowly, candlelight flickering and casting quivering shadows across her face.

It was obvious what she meant, and both father and son looked down sadly. Rick shook his head, stirring his can of beans. "No."

"Did you see where the bus went?"

Carl answered this time. "There was too much going on. Who was on it?" Eagerness in his tone, from his want to find the others.

Michonne chewed on her beans thoughtfully, unable to recall who all she spotted getting on. "I think I saw Glenn and..."

She trailed off, looking sideways at Toby.

His brown eyes were downcast, staring listlessly into his can. "Mason. She thinks she saw Mason."

Rick nodded, watching Toby in concern. "That's a good thing. Means he's safe."

Toby gave a shrug that was little more than a twitch.

Once the cans were empty, Rick stood carefully, holding his bruised side. "Let's get some rest."

Carl and Michonne stood, while Toby stayed seated. He felt incredibly tired, but knew sleep would inevitably evade him. So instead he chose to stay where he was, and wring in his hands the hat of a man he almost couldn't remember the voice of anymore.

...

The sunlight burned bright, visible even through closed eyes. Glenn flinched, senses coming back to him at a snail's pace. The wave of growls and moans went hand-in-hand with the monstrous smell of smoke and decay. His shoulder-blades and the back of his head both ached, and after he shifted slightly, he realized it was because he was laid flat out on concrete.

"Morning."

Glenn flinched, opening his dry eyes and sitting up. The place he found himself in was the demolished outdoor catwalk. It had been a victim to the tank, and was now blown apart, cutting off access to the other side. Walkers, dozens of them, were gathered around right under them, reaching up and scratching at the air. Even the tallest Walker's arms couldn't reach them, which was a miracle.

Glenn looked away from the horde, and over to the door that lead into the prison. Leaned up against it, was Mason.

"W-what happened?" Glenn slurred, grappling with his machine-gun that had been dangling over the jagged edge.

Mason frowned, hands in his pockets. "Well, we _were_ checking the cell-blocks. Until your dumbass decided to keel-over."

Glenn blinked away the dryness in his eyes, sitting up all the way. "How did we get up here?"

Mason's frown deepened, as he glared at Glenn. "I carried you. Do you have any idea how heavy a grown man is? 'Cause the answer is very. You're very heavy." He grumbled heatedly. "We just finished checking B, and were making it to C when you passed out. You made a promise Glenn, we have to-"

"I know," He nodded tiredly, having to duck his head from the sunlight as he stumbled to his feet. "I know Mason. I need to find them too, I'm not breaking my promise."

Mason eyed him sceptically. "Not armed with _that_ you're not." He nodded to the machine-gun.

Glenn gave him a confused look. "It's better than what you have."

Mason rolled his eyes, standing. "I _mean_ , look around. There's no way we can get out of here with just these two guns. We need the riot gear."

Glenn looked over to the door contemplatively. "Do you think it's still here? What if people took it in the evacuation?"

Mason shrugged, taking hold of his revolver. "Worth it to check. What's the worst that could happen?"

The teen involuntarily winced, knowing Nye would have been chewing him out for no doubt jinxing it.

The two opened the red door, guns raised. Walking into the darkened hallway, Glenn reached over, grabbing and turning on the emergency lantern that was stationed by the door. Steps slow and careful, they made their way into cell-block C.

All the lights were down, basking everything that wasn't touched by the sunlight, into darkness. Glenn pushed open the barred door, causing it to creak on its hinges. On the floor was a single bottle of whisky, getting knocked aside by the corner of the door, and lazily rolling away.

The only sound to be heard was their heavy breathing, and the random squeaking of rats who had sought refuge inside the prison, away from the outside hordes of Walkers.

Glenn headed to his and Maggie's room, throwing the sheet aside, and deflating when he found her not to be there. Mason breezed passed him, running up the stairs and taking a sharp turn into Nye's room.

"Mom!" The teen called, yanking away her brightly colored sheet. Inside, her bed laid unmade, blanket and pillows rumpled and left that way, as she was never one to bother with making her bed.

 _"If I'm just gonna sleep in it again later, why should I go through the trouble?"_

Mason sagged, heart heavy as he spotted things like her guitar, and photo albums that had been left behind. After a quick sweep, he realized her prized pistol, and broken wrench were both missing. And he was willing to bet they weren't in the armory either.

Finally, in what felt like forever, Mason grinned.

"Glenn!" He excitedly yelled, throwing himself down the stairs. "Glenn she's not here! She got out!"

Glenn stepped out of his room, his riot gear all strapped on. In his left hand he held out Maggie's set. "Put this on." He said instead of answering.

Mason took it from him, scrambling to gear-up as fast as possible. "Her gun- the one Daryl gave her- it's gone! So's her wrench! She got out!"

Glenn nodded, not even trying to quiet him down. "What about Toby?"

Mason forced the riot helmet over his baseball cap. "He was outside. He made it out too."

Glenn opened his mouth, but decided to close it back up. Not wanting to destroy Mason's unwavering hope. Picking up a duffle-bag at his side, Glenn glanced at the bottle of whisky.

"Grab anything that looks useful."

There was a split second, in which Mason moved to head up to his and Toby's room, to grab Manny and Button, but he forced himself in another direction, knowing the blanket and plush toy would do them no good in the end. So with a heart even heavier than before, Mason moved towards the armory, sending a silent goodbye to the last physical thing that connected him to his biological mother.

...

When morning came, the lifted spirits of most of the small group was palpable. Most.

Toby sat down at the dinner table across from Carl, crossing his arms on the wood and resting his head on them. He couldn't for the life of him smile like the rest were, now that they'd found each other.

Carl was silently smiling to himself, absently stirring his dry cereal. When Michonne walked through the door he immediately perked up, and started giggling at her attire.

She set down three water bottles and her own bowl to fill with the dry cornflakes, looking to Carl proudly as she luxuriated in her baggy white over-shirt.

"Do you have something to say about my extremely comfortable, and attractive shirt?" She jokingly challenged, rolling up her sleeves.

Carl stifled his giggles, shaking his head. "No, no, no. It- uh, it looks great." He glanced down at her middle. "Oh, you missed a..."

The fourth button up was undone, as Michonne fixed it, she looked to Toby. "Morning."

It didn't have the desired effect, as Toby shrugged, giving a grunt in response as he stirred his cereal.

Michonne pursed her lips, but didn't press any further. Sitting down, she pulled the bag of cereal her way. "I wish we had some soy milk."

Carl grimaced. "Seriously?"

For the first time that morning, Toby looked up, only to give Carl a look of indignation.

"Yes, seriously. Have you ever tried it?"

Carl sat back in his chair, smiling wider. "My best friend in third grade, he was allergic to dairy." He started off with.

"Uh-huh."

"And every day he would bring this soy stuff to lunch. I tried it."

Michonne grinned. "And?"

"I threw up!"

Michonne snickered. "Oh, yeah, right."

"All right, all right." Carl leaned back, holding up his hands. "I _almost_ threw up. But I was like, _ugh_." He mimed puking.

They both laughed, Toby sitting stoically as he continued to stare blankly into his food.

Carl brushed some hair away, smile glowing with humor. "It was so gross. I mean, literally, I would rather have powdered milk than to have to drink that stuff again." He said, remembering the awful powdered milk and eggs they had at the CDC. "I would rather have Judith's formula-"

The kitchen fell quiet, as Carl's smile dropped.

"I-I'm gonna go finish my book. I have a couple chapters left." He quickly murmured, running out of the kitchen.

Michonne frowned into her food, slowly chewing what was in her mouth, that now tasted even blander than before.

"Guess that answers that question." Toby remarked, standing and walking away in the opposite direction as Carl.

Michonne sighed, hanging her head.

...

"Stay close!"

Charging out of the prison and into the sea of Walkers, Glenn kept an eye out for Mason at all times. The teen himself stuck to Glenn's side like glue, fearful of being left behind.

Walkers pushed and pulled on them in every direction, leaving them with having to charge through the masses of wiggling dead bodies to get to the courtyard.

Outrunning the shambling corpses, the two looked back, swearing in tandem as they saw the ever growing horde.

Movement out of the corner of his eye, made Glenn look to their left.

Sitting in a fenced off area, looking unconcerned with the Walkers all around, was the dark haired girl Rick had pleaded with. The one with the ponytails. She was totally unfamiliar to Glenn, meaning she was one of The Governor's.

Glenn hesitated, shifting from foot to foot as he was reluctant to help her after what happened, but was also unwilling in leaving her alone to die.

"Glenn?"

Eyes closing in acceptance, Glenn knew he couldn't set such a bad example for Mason. Walking up to the fence, he killed the female Walker in the way, opening the door and pulling Mason through.

The woman didn't move, not even when Glenn ripped her gun away from her.

Mason tugged off his helmet, gasping when he could finally see her clearly.

"It's you!" He grunted in anger. "You were standing next to The Governor!"

The woman winced, eyes full of guilt and shame.

Glenn took off his helmet and unclipped the magazine, looking down in confusion when he saw what was inside.

"It's full." He said incredulously.

The woman pursed her lips, still staring out at the Walkers.

"Did you even fire a shot?"

She gave a meek shake of her head.

Glenn sighed, adjusting the backpack on his shoulder. "...All right. Let's go."

"Glenn!" Mason shouted in disbelief. "But she-"

Glenn held up a hand to Mason, glowering down at the woman. "Let's go. Are you just gonna stay here, huh? You're just gonna die?"

"I was part of this." She said dully, regret drying her voice out to a soft monotone.

Glenn stared at her harshly. "I know."

She gave him a confused look. "So what are you doing?"

Glenn paused, then took a deep breath. "I need your help." He admitted quietly. "We're gonna run out of bullets. Take this and take this." He handed her her gun back, as well as a knife.

"Glenn." Mason groaned, distrust in the woman strong.

He ignored the teen, pulling out that bottle of whisky, and shoving a rag into the neck of the bottle. The woman stood as Glenn lit the rag on fire with a lighter.

"Back up." He demanded.

He opened the fence door, throwing the bottle, then pulling back and closing the door. The bottle shattered as it landed in the broken windshield of a car. A fire bloomed, attracted most of the Walkers' attention.

Glenn turned and grabbed the woman's shoulder. "Alright. I need you to stay ahead of us, okay?"

She gave a shaky nod.

"Alright. we'll cover you, but we can't do it alone. You ready?" He got another nod. After one from Mason as well, Glenn opened the door. "Let's go. Go. Go, go, go, go, go."

The woman led the way, Glenn in the back, and Mason wedged between them.

"Shoot! Shoot! Come on!"

Mason panted, fogging up his visor as he and the two adults shot down only the Walkers in their way.

After making it through the courtyard, that should have been renamed "the graveyard", things became much easier. They only had to kill four stray Walkers by the time they made it to the main road.

Crossing from the grass onto the pavement, they all panted.

"Did you see if any of our people got out?" Glenn asked Tara, who they had breathlessly exchanged names with on the way.

She shook her head as they passed a burned out car. "All I saw was my sister in that field. She wasn't supposed to be there. She had a gun, b-but they just swarmed her." Tara's voice cracked. "She wasn't supposed to be there. I did it for him. I _trusted_ him." She spoke, getting angrier with every word. "And then he just _killed_ that old man."

Glenn halted in his tracks, face going numb as he registered her words.

"Hershel?" He whispered, voice cracking. "Was h-his name Hershel?"

Tara closed her eyes, waves of guilt threatening to drown her. Turning around, she gave them a small nod of confirmation.

Glenn tried to take in a breath, but it wouldn't work. Blinking away rapidly approaching tears, he attempted to remember what his last words with the man were.

Mason dropped his rifle, its strap the only thing keeping it off of the ground. Reaching up, he tore off his helmet, throwing it down to the pavement with a resounding 'crack'. Turning on his heel, he marched to the roadside railing, sitting down on it and hanging his head. Never before had he felt such anger towards a death. Not even his biological mother's.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Tara whimpered, their reactions reaffirming all of the self-hate she was feeling. "Brian, that man, told us you were bad people. I know it's not true." She stuttered, throat tight as she watched the two. "I can see it's not, so what we did, what _I_ did..." She gave a laugh without the slightest drop of humor. "I mean, I'm a piece of shit. Why would you want my help?"

She turned away, fully prepared to wander off and disappear into the woods, never to be seen again.

"I don't want it," Glenn's voice stopped her. "I need it. Mason has family. And I have to find Maggie." He said desperately.

Tara turned, cheeks wet. "Who's Maggie?"

"She's my wife." Glenn declared, voice fragile and grievous.

Tara's chest exploded with new guilt. "You guys got separated?"

Mason continued to remain silent on the railing.

Glenn nodded. "We were on the bus, and then we got off to help, but she didn't see us."

"How do you know if she made it?" Tara asked pessimistically.

Glenn gave a weak shrug. "I don't know. But Hershel," He started, walking up into Tara's space. "Maggie's father, was a great man. And he told me all I had to do was believe, and that's what I'm gonna do." He nodded to himself. "None of us should be alive right now, but we are. She got out, so you're gonna help me find her."

"Things aren't over. They're not over." He said with conviction, walking over to a small group of Walkers that had started creeping out of the woods.

Mason stood stiffly, taking out his knife as he moved to help Glenn.

"I want to believe that. I want to." Tara called to him.

A Walker growled, reaching for Glenn

"You have to." He plunged his knife into its head.

Mason took down a different one as Glenn moved to his next. But his stamina hadn't fully recovered yet from the sickness, which led to a Walker almost getting the upper-hand over him. After wrestling with it, Glenn stumbled, tripping over his own feet, and fell to the ground unconscious.

"Shit!" Mason barked, killing one of the last two as they turned on Glenn.

Tara ran over, shaking Glenn's chest-plate. "Glenn. Glenn. Hey, Glenn!"

"Look out!"

Tara looked over her shoulder, cursing and taking Glenn's machine-gun. A Walker lunged at the two, and Tara quickly struck it in the head with the butt of the gun. The undead corpse fell, as Tara bashed its brains in, grunting as she turned its face into mush.

Mason panted next to her, jumping and looking up as he heard something concerning.

A huge, heavy-duty military vehicle pulled up, stopping only a stone's toss away.

Tara stood straight, shifting her hands so she held the gun properly as she put herself between the vehicle and Mason.

"Hope you enjoyed the show, assholes!" Tara shouted breathlessly, voice accusatory.

After a second, three people hopped out of the huge truck. There was a brunette woman, looking to be Latina, who was wearing clothes _way_ too skimpy for the apocalypse, where bites and scratches were the difference between life and death. There was also a brunette man, with a blank face and a greasy mullet, giving him a vibe of someone who didn't know that the world had ended. Then, there was the obvious ringleader, who had cropped ginger hair, and a matching goatee. The ginger man looked all too at home in their post-apocalyptic version of earth.

"You got a damn mouth on you, you know that?" The ginger said, slinging his large rifle over his shoulder. "What else you got?"

Mason's eyes drifted down to Glenn as anxious sweat started to line the teen's forehead.

 _Why am I the only one remaining reliably conscious?_

...

"Knock knock."

Toby, sitting on the couch as he pretended to read a random book that had been laying around, looked up.

Michonne leaned against the doorway, running her thumb across her katana as she watched him carefully. "We're going on a run."

"Cool."

Michonne sighed, walking into the room and taking a seat next to him. "Do you want to come with us?"

Toby paused, staring down at, and fiddling with the old pages of the book. "...Is everyone going?"

"No," She shook her head, leaning back she put her arm on the back of the couch. "Just me and Carl. Rick's staying here to rest."

Toby bobbed his head. "I think I'll stay than, too."

With another sigh, Michonne stood, giving Toby a nod. "Okay. Don't leave the house."

"You got it." He mumbled, leafing through the book once more.

In the end, Toby realized he made the right call. Because not twenty minutes later, he heard something.

"...Think it's empty?"

"...Looks like someone..."

"...What do we got here?"

Toby shot up from the couch, running on his toes to the door, and peeked out. Shadows, several of them, were bobbing in and out of sight, as the group of strangers' voices carried through the house.

Toby swallowed, realizing he and Rick were in different levels of the house. Grabbing the large knife he traded with Michonne for the machine-gun, he leaned back on the balls of his feet, before sprinting out the door. Thankfully the men sounded like they were all ransacking the kitchen, which gave Toby the perfect opportunity to make a break for the stairs. Jumping up two steps at a time, Toby winced as a floorboard here and there would creak.

Just as the group of men started splitting off, Toby ducked into the room Rick was resting.

The former sheriff was flat on his back, breathing deep and steady as he slept soundly.

"Shit." Toby hissed, closing the door slowly, as not to make any noise, then darted to Rick's side.

Later on he would realize that the method of which that he chose to wake Rick up, wasn't the most tactful, or even kind way to do it. But it was what was needed in that moment.

Putting a hand firmly over Rick's mouth, Toby pushed his other one down onto Rick's bruised side. Like a charm, the man sat up, shoving Toby's hand off his mouth.

"What are-"

Toby put a finger to his mouth, silently glaring at Rick with anxious eyes.

"...Check the upstairs asshat..."

Rick's face fell, as footsteps started getting closer to the door.

Without missing a beat, Rick pulled Toby down to the floor, rolling him under the bed, then immediately doing the same himself.

Hand going to his holster, Rick's stomach fell as he felt his gun missing, having been lent to Carl.

After a second, Rick scrambled to get his book and water bottle off of the bedside table, removing any evidence of someone staying in the room.

Rick looked to his left, locking eyes with Toby.

"How many?" He whispered, quiet enough that Toby had to read his lips.

The teen shook his head. "Didn't see." He whispered back just as quiet.

As soon as the words left his mouth, the door swung open. Dirty and worn out boots appeared in front of them, and swinging next to the boots, was the barrel of a black rifle. The sight enforcing them to be silent.

The man meandered over to the closet, checking its contents, then moved on to the big wooden dresser.

Toby stared at the floor, attempting to keep his breathing even and noiseless. Rick, seeing the teen's distress, took his hand, giving a reassuring squeeze.

But in the heavy silence, there was a soft sound that became concerningly noticeable. Ticking came from the watch Carol gave Rick, sounding as loud as a hammer hitting metal. Rick reached into his pocket with his free hand, pinching down on it, halting its incessant ticking.

The boots walked around to the left side of the bed, then disappeared as the man threw himself down onto the mattress. The two hiding underneath jumped and winced as the bed-frame creaked, caving in slightly over them.

As the man above them shifted, sighing comfortably, an authoritative voice carried up from downstairs.

"This will be our abode for the evening."

Rick and Toby shared a panicked look. Carl and Michonne would be back in a couple hours, and they were trapped under a bed of all things, unable to warn the two about the unwanted guests.

Toby's eyes drifted to the floor, helplessness settling in.

 _What would Mom do?_

"Well Smalls, I sure as hell wouldn't be giving up."

Toby jumped, eyes frantically darting around, until he belatedly realized what he thought he heard, wasn't really spoken at all.

A new set of boots wandered into the room, stopping at the foot of the bed.

"Yo. Comfy?"

"You waking me up to see if I'm comfortable?" The man on the bed grumbled.

"I want to lie down."

"Two other bedrooms up here to choose."

"Them's kids' beds. I want this one."

"It's claimed."

"I didn't hear it. You gonna have to lay claim somewhere else."

The new arrival pulled the first guy off of the bed, the two trading blows. The new guy threw the other to the ground, choking him out. The first guy tried wrestling him off, and in his effort, he spotted Rick and Toby.

His eyes widened and locked with Rick's, as he struggled harder. "Len! Len, stop! Stop, Len! _Stop_!" He wheezed, trying to warn his fellow survivor.

"Hell no." The new guy snapped, finally choking the first guy unconscious.

"My bed now, jackoff." He gloated, and preceded to jump onto the creaky mattress.

Rick glowered ahead, sweat dripping from his hair, as he continued to hold tightly onto Toby's hand.

...

Tara's head swivelled around, tracking another street corner sign. Mouthing the street name, she wrote it down on her arm with a marker.

Mason eyed her mistrustfully, arms crossed. "What are you even doing?"

The back of the military truck jumped as they ran over a dead Walker, and the resulting laugh from the ginger carried from the front of the truck.

Tara leaned back, eyes as guilty as ever. "I'm keeping track of where we are, so when he wakes up, I can take you and Glenn back to where you need to be."

Mason blinked, wrong-footed. "Oh."

The sun peeked its way out from the overcast clouds, shining brightly. As the light beamed down on them, Mason took off his cap, placing it on Glenn's head, and tipping the bill down so he had shade over his eyes.

Tara watched the interaction, fiddling with the capped marker. "How do you two know each other?"

Running a hand through his sweaty curls, Mason huffed. "We met right after they bombed Atlanta. Like, _right_ after. There was this camp a bunch of us set up, out on this cool quarry, and Glenn was the guy who went on runs."

Tara nodded along, looking wary. "...What happened to the camp?"

Mason took a moment, staring off into space as he looked back on everything that had happened, and everyone they lost.

"We... we got swarmed by Walkers, and thought it would be safer to leave." Mason said, then got hit with a dark realization. "...How many of us are even left?" He murmured to himself.

Counting in his head, he started to become dizzy at how low the number was, compared to before.

Tara frowned as Mason began to spiral, feeling the need to do something about it. "Um, so hey, Glenn mentioned you had family?"

Inwardly she winced, beating herself up for only diverting things to a different sad topic.

Mason looked up, then to her relief, relaxed some. "Oh, yeah. My mom and brother."

Tara quickly wrote it down as they made a right turn, and decided to continue the current topic of conversation, as it seemed to calm Mason down. "What are they like?"

Mason grinned softly, uncrossing his arms. "Well, my brother's name is Toby. He's... kinda weird, but in a good way. Like, he's super smart, but also sometimes really dumb, and he has this bad habit of looking way too deeply into things."

Tara nodded, smiling now herself. "Okay, what about your mom?"

"She's-" Mason stopped, brows furrowing. "She's... immature."

Tara gave a surprised laugh, quickly stifling it. "Really?"

Mason nodded, eyes filled with a far away look. "Yeah... she's immature, sarcastic all the time, doesn't know how to share her emotions in a healthy way, has bad anger management issues, she always gets hurt, she's..."

"She sounds... complicated."

Mason bit his lip, nodding faintly. He stared down at his lap, holding tightly onto the gun Nye had given him. "Yeah she's, just... the best." He breathed, chest aching. "She's funny, sweet, understanding. She's gentle and knows how to fix us up when we've been hurt, but also knows how to fight to keep everyone safe. She had every chance to live her life without us, but she chose to take us in anyway. She can't cook for shit, but she still always tries, and... I love every bit of her, for all of it."

Tara smiled as Mason got lost in thought about his family. It fell, however, as the smell of smoke and rott filled her nose. Looking up ahead, Tara spotted something concerning.

"Is that a bus?"

Mason's head shot up, as he scrambled to stand unsteadily. "What!?"

The truck breezed passed the scene, Mason's eyes tracking the wrecked bus that was surrounded in bodies.

"It's from the prison, isn't it?" Tara meekly asked.

Instead of answering, Mason threw his leg over the side, fully prepared to jump out while it was still moving.

"Whoa!" Tara yelped, grabbing his wrist to keep him still. "What are you doing?!"

Having caught a glimpse of Mason's actions through the rear-view mirror, the ginger hit the breaks.

Worn down sneakers hit the pavement running, weaving between all the bodies strewn about the road.

It appeared that someone had beat them there, as each body had a head wound to make it stay down.

Giving a cursory glance at the corpses, Mason couldn't identify any of them to be Nye or Toby, not at first glance at least. Running up to the back door, he wrenched it open, darting inside.

"What is your major malfunction?! We don't got time for this bullshit kid!" The ginger called to him, as he, his female partner, and Tara all got out of the truck.

"Screw you carrot-top!" Mason snapped back from inside the bus.

Walking down the aisle, Mason looked over all the seats, even checking under a few just to be safe. As he got to the driver's seat, a hand came down on his shoulder.

"They're not here. Let's go." The ginger ordered, though there was an underline sympathy hidden in his voice.

Mason glared, shrugging his hand off. "I have to make sure! I'm not leaving until I know that neither of them are with these bodies!"

The ginger sighed, rubbing his eyes harshly, before nodding in acceptance. "What do they look like?"

"What?" Mason asked, completely thrown.

The ginger sighed again, exasperated. "What do they look like?" He repeated slowly. "Defining features, the clothes they were wearing, things like that."

"O-oh. Um, My mom has light brown, kinda blonde hair, that reaches passed her shoulders. She'll be wearing a pair of old goggles."

"How can you know she'll be wearing them?"

"I just do. My brother, Toby, he has dark brown hair, and a ton of moles and freckles, he'll probably still be wearing a blue plaid shirt." Mason wracked his brain for anything else, and gave a small jump. "Oh, and Maggie has short brown hair, I think she was wearing a purple shirt, and she'll be wearing a wedding ring for sure."

"Who the hell's Maggie?"

"Glenn's wife."

The ginger nodded. "Ah." He leaned towards the closest window. "You heard him! Everyone but Eugene start looking!"

Mason looked out the windows, gaping as he saw Tara and the ginger's lady partner start rolling over bodies, checking to see if any matched Mason's descriptions.

"I-I don't- Why?" Mason stammered, looking up at the camo clad man.

"The sooner we prove they're not here, is the sooner we get to hitting the road, and saving the world."

Mason bobbed his head slowly. "Yeah-"

He cut himself off as he actually noticed what it was that the ginger said.

" _What_?"

...

When they started to hear snoring coming from the man above, Rick gave Toby a wordless signal, urging the kid to follow him as he carefully crawled out from under the bed. As he wiggled his upper body out, Rick took his forearms, pulling him up soundlessly. What followed, was the most high-stakes game of hide 'n seek that Toby had ever been a part of.

Rick kept the teen behind him at all times, as they ducked into empty rooms, and around corners to avoid being spotted. The former sheriff managed to find a heavy trophy, which he finally armed himself with.

The two slinked into the upstairs bathroom, softly shutting the door behind them. But as they turned around, they came face-to-face with one of the men. Rick acted first, slamming the stand of the trophy into the guy's nose, knocking him back. Wrestling his rifle off of the man, Rick quickly got the strap around the man's neck, choking him.

Toby stood back in the corner, wincing everytime something fell off the counter, or when the man threw his weight back, fruitlessly pushing Rick into the wall.

The man surged forward with his last bit of strength, reaching for a pair of scissors on the counter. His fingers brushed the handle, and hooked into one of the hand-holds.

Before the man could do anything with them, Toby shot out of the corner, taking his large knife, and lunged at the man.

The knife slid into the man's chest like butter, and only a few seconds later, did he go completely limp, dropping the scissors.

Rick let him drop to the floor, giving Toby a pained and angered look.

" _What did you do_?!" He whispered harshly.

Toby glowered. "I saved your ass, that's what."

Rick grinded his teeth, running a hand through his hair. "You shouldn't have- You didn't- _I had it handled!_ "

Toby gave a disbelieving scoff. "Why are you so mad about this? He was trying to kill us!"

Rick opened his mouth, but changed his mind. Shaking his head, he went over to the room's window, prying it open.

The reason he was so upset, had almost everything to do with the boy's mother. From the moment she gave blood to help keep Carl alive, he had felt indebted to her in some way. Even during times that the two were at each other's throats, he always had it hanging over him. So now, that he had a chance to pay her back, even if only a little, by protected one of her kids, he was determined to do his absolute best.

But, now Toby had needlessly killed someone, who Rick had been fully prepared and willing to take care of himself. Then there was the blank look in the teen's eyes, as if he was apathetic to having just killed someone intimately. That look was something Nye would have surely been disturbed by.

Opening the door a crack, so once the man turned, he would act as a weapon against his own men. Rick hooked the rifle's strap over his shoulder as he climbed out the window first, helping Toby crawl through afterwards. Dangling himself over the side of the roof, Rick dropped himself down, catching Toby as the teen followed his actions.

Running down the elevated porch, they kept low to the ground as they made it around to the front of the house.

Ducking down near the front porch, they waited, listening as someone was repeatedly bouncing a tennis ball on the floor, and catching it. The man stopped, tossing the ball aside as he sat down on the banister, digging in to a can of beans.

The plan to wait until the man left, was foiled, as Carl and Michonne appeared into view down the street. Miraculously, the man didn't notice them, as he was focused on his food.

Rick scowled, face scrunching up into a desperate look, as he moved to stand and fire at the man. But luck seemed to be on their side for once, as screaming and undead moans came from inside the house.

"Kill him! Kill him!"

"Fucking shit." The man growled, hopping off of the banister and running inside.

Relief washed over the two in a tidal-wave, taking their chance, they ran away from the house and towards Michonne and Carl.

"Go! Go!" Rick ordered as they got in hearing distance.

Neither of them asked any questions, they only nodded and followed wherever Rick would lead them.

Booking it clear out of the neighborhood, to avoid any more run-ins with the group of men, the four found themselves walking along a train-track, finally slowing their running for a more laid-back jog.

As Carl moved to fall in-line with Toby, he reached into his full duffel, pulling out a can of squeeze-cheese.

"Crazy cheese?" He offered, holding out the can.

Toby was about to turn him down flat, but the sincere, and open look on Carl's face made him pause.

He remembered, back at the prison, when Nye had turned up alive right after Lori's death. He remembered how bitter Carl had been, and how short that lasted. He remembered how fast Carl had stopped resenting Nye, as he realized she wasn't to blame for Lori's death. He remembered how Carl didn't distance himself from the Conners, because Nye came back, while Lori didn't.

Then, he looked back on his own behavior. He had been treating everyone like it was their fault, when in reality it was no one's but The Governor's. He had been a, for lack of a better term, total dick. Something that none of them deserved, or should have had to put up with.

So, putting on a smile, Toby took the can of cheese.

"Thanks Carl."

The two adults walking in front slowed to a stop, as they came up on an abandoned train-car. Plastered to the side was a map, and banner.

 _Sanctuary for all, community for all. Those who arrive, survive._ The banner read.

Under it, on the map, their were a few clear cut lines of tracks, all leading to a place called-

"Terminus?" Toby broached, rolling the can of cheese in his hands.

"What are you thinking?" Michonne quietly asked Rick.

After a second, he started to nod. "Let's go." Giving them all a sure look, he started walking down the track again. "Let's go."

Toby fell behind, as he eyed the map. Knowing that if Nye saw it, that it would be the first place she would look for him and Mason. And if _Mason_ saw it, he would go there, hoping to be found by Nye as well.

 _"...If you have to leave, than leave. I'll still find you."_

Taking a deep breath, and filled with a new motivater, Toby moved to catch up with his small group.

"Not if I find you first." He murmured to himself, putting the nozzle up to his mouth, and taking a long drag of cheese.

...

Three hours had passed since they came across the bus, hours that Mason and Tara spent with small talk and road-trip games. Getting to know each other pretty well as a result.

For instance, Tara learned that eye-spy was off limits. And Mason learned that Tara was only interested in girls.

"Ah shit."

"What?"

Mason hung his head back. "You'll be the first available chick Mom's met in the apocalypse." He bumped his head against the side of the truck lightly. "And we thought her flirting with Maggie and Michonne was bad."

"Wait, your mom flirts with Glenn's wife?"

Mason looked back down. "Well, yeah, but jokingly. The point is, Daryl has actual competition now."

"Who's Daryl?" Tara asked.

"He's, uh... he's the badass hunter guy of our group. And me and Toby meddle with his and Mom's relationship a lot."

Tara nodded, still a bit curious, but willing to drop it in favor of focusing on Glenn, who was finally waking up.

The baseball cap tumbled off of his head, as he jerkily sat up.

"Hey, don't move," Tara ordered, pushing him back down before he could stand. Reaching to her side she held out a canteen. "Here, have some water."

"W-where are we?" He croaked, voice cracking from disuse.

Mason swiped his hat off the floor, slipping it over his curls. "Right around the corner of 'no clue avenue' and down the street of 'we're fucked-lane'."

Tara gave the teen a look, clearly meant to politely tell him to shut up.

"We don't know. We were fighting Biters and you passed out right after we left the prison. I-I didn't know what to do." She stuttered defensively. "The back of the truck seemed safer than the side of the road."

Glenn glanced around, dazed eyes becoming clearer. "Did we pass a bus? On the road, did we pass a bus?!" He rounded on her, leaning heavily against the side of the truck.

Tara shared a glance with Mason over his shoulder. The teen nodded his head after a moment of consideration.

"Yeah..."

Glenn swallowed dryly, hating how apprehensive she sounded, and what it meant. "What did you see?"

She licked her lips, mouth moving silently as she looked for what to say.

"What did you see?!"

"They were dead. All of them." Mason spoke, tone dulled by the losses.

Glenn's breath hitched, but before he could get more worked up, Mason continued.

"They weren't there. We checked the bodies."

Frame deflating from his tensed position, Glenn turned back on Tara. "How long since we passed it?"

"Three hours."

Glenn bit out a swear, turning and banging on the window separating them, and the new group of three up-front. "Hey. Hey, stop the truck!"

A muscular arm stuck out, flipping them the bird before disappearing back on the steering wheel.

Tara sat up, hitting her fist against the window pane now as well. "Hey, numb-nuts, stop the truck!"

Glenn picked up his rifle, ramming the butt of the gun against the glass, cracking it. "Stop the truck! Stop the truck!"

Finally, after another hit splintered the glass further, the truck slowed, random parts audibly whirring and squeaking as it came to a stop.

Slinging the orange backpack over his shoulder, Glenn tiredly jumped down out of the vehicle, marching away without preamble as Mason and Tara hurried to follow him.

"Where the hell are you going?!" The ginger Mason still didn't bother remembering the name of, slammed the driver side door closed, running over to the three. His two compatriots right behind him.

Moving in their way, the ginger stood tall and imposing in front of them, blocking their path. "I don't know what your friends' told you about the special nature of the mission we're on, but this shit is time-sensitive and we're already way behind schedule. So I need you to turn your ass around and get back in the truck."

"I gotta go." Glenn croaked, not batting an eye as he kept walking.

Ginger put his hand to Glenn's chest, stopping him. "It seems like neither one of you's been paying close enough attention to the hell on earth we've been living in. So let me tell you how to best avoid winding up just another dead-alive prick. You find some strong, like-minded comrades and you stay stuck together like wet on water. We need people. The more the _better_. We need each other, partner. Even with all that gear on your shoulder, you won't last a night. Not by yourself."

If the man had been talking to anyone else, Mason would've believed him, just from the conviction in his voice alone.

"I'll take my chances." Glenn rasped, attempting to get by again.

"I'm gonna have to insist that you hold the hell up." He slammed his hand back on his chest harder than before. Glenn reached up and gripped his wrist harshly in retaliation. "Alright, believe it or not, the fate of the entire _damn_ human race might depend on it."

Glenn pushed his hand off, eyes narrowed sceptically. "What the hell are you talking about?" He looked to Mason and Tara. "Who is this guy?"

"I'm Sergeant Abraham Ford." Abraham stated proudly, posture straight, and shoulders thrown back in a practiced stance. "And these are my companions Rosita Espinosa." He nodded to his female partner, who gave a wry smile. "And doctor Eugene Porter." He gave a nod to the awkward looking man with the mullet. "We're on a mission to get Eugene to Washington, DC."

Abraham stood even straighter, eyes alight with something hopeful. "Eugene's a scientist, and he knows _exactly_ what caused this mess."

Even after already hearing it in the bus, Mason felt chills run over him, as he thought of the possibility of a fixed world.

"Alright." Glenn said, voice soft as he bobbed his head slowly. "So what happened?"

"It's classified." Eugene said plainly.

"He'd been talking to the muckety-mucks in Washington on his satellite phone. The past couple weeks, nobody's been picking up on the other end. We saw how you handled those corpses back there. We could use your help." Abraham implored.

Glenn frowned, giving them all an apologetic look. "Sorry."

Abraham didn't stop them this time as they all walked by, the three falling into step with each other.

"I had to get us off that road. You were passed out, we were out of bullets." Tara explained. "I know how to get back to that bus. I wrote down every turn. I will get you back if I can, okay?"

Mason smiled at her determination to help. Even if it was mostly driven by guilt, he had a feeling she would be helping anyway, whether or not there was a weight on her shoulders.

"That's where she'd go to find me. That's where I'm gonna go."

"It's a waste of time." Abraham called, he and Rosita catching up with them. "Tara and the kid told us what went down. There is zero chance you will ever find your wife again. Alive or dead. Mainly because, sorry to tell you, she's gone." He stated ruthlessly. "And chances are, your family's gone as well." He said to Mason, softer than how he spoke to Glenn.

Mason glowered, but his words struck a cord with the teen, bringing to light an idea he wanted to ignore with everything he had.

"No need for you all to die, too. Now come on. Get back in the truck, do something with your lives."

Glenn let the backpack slide off his shoulder, and onto the ground.

"...When the people we love kick-" He paused, and with an inaudible sigh, he loosened his stiff posture, eyes sincerely sympathetic. "Well, they disappear. Doesn't mean you've got to go out that way, too."

Glenn turned around to face him, silently watching him for a second, and almost looking like he was considering it. But his choice was clear, as he swung a fist into Abraham's face.

Ignoring the surprised gasps from most of the group, Glenn picked up his backpack, hooking the strap back on his shoulder. "She's alive and I'm gonna find her."

Abraham stood, wiping his nose free of blood. "You son of a bitch!" He growled, charging at Glenn's back, and tackling him to the ground.

"Hey, hey, hey!"

"Abraham! Hey, get off him!"

"Come on!"

"You don't want this, Abraham!"

As Glenn managed to get a few blows in, Mason unabashedly was the only not trying to stop the fight, but cheer it on instead.

"Kick his ass Glenn!"

The only thing that finally succeeded in stopping the fight, was the gunshots Eugene started firing. While everyone had been occupied with the two men wrestling on the ground, a herd of Walkers stumbled out of the surrounding woods and fields of tall grass.

In an instant, Abraham shot up off of Glenn, and started running towards Eugene. Everyone followed, equipping what they had on them, which wasn't much.

"Stop! Eugene! Stop firing, damn it! Stop firing! We need to get our weapons!"

Eugene thankfully listened and handed the gun over to Abraham, who had much better aim. With everyone but Eugene firing off headshots, the Walkers were taken care of in record time.

But as the growling and shots were silenced, the sound of dripping brought everyone's attention to the truck, where Eugene had ended up shooting the gas tank, puncturing it, and leaving it useless.

Abraham squatted down, eyeing the damage in disbelief. "Son of a dick."

For awhile, Abraham held out hope that it was fixable, but after a thorough check, it was clear that there was no way to repair the damage.

"We were running a convoy in one of these. Coming up a dune, there's this camel, looks like it's about to puke. Probably because shitbird's packed about four pounds of C-4 up its ass. We were within 20 feet of that blast that sent that animal's hump half a klick into the desert. And we drove home." Abraham stood, looking to Eugene incredulously. "So you tell me, how in the holy hell did you possibly _kill this truck_?"

"A fully amped-up state, and an ignorance of rapid-firing weapons." Eugene replied in a baritone voice.

"So, you're saying you were freaking out, and that you suck with guns?" Mason summed up.

Something fluttered out of Glenn's pocket, getting picked up by Rosita right after it hit the ground.

Looking it over, she saw it was a photo, of a sleeping woman who matched Mason's description of Maggie.

"Is this yours?" She asked carefully, holding out the picture.

Glenn quickly took it, throat bobbing as he looked it over. Pocketing it, he nodded to the useless truck. "Sorry about your ride. Hope you guys make it to Washington."

And for the final time, Glenn walked away. Mason stationed himself on Glenn's side, taking the heavy backpack.

"Wait for me." Tara called, catching up.

Behind them, the other three stewed in silence, until Rosita gave a resigned shrug, stomping her way towards Glenn's group. "What the hell else are we gonna do?" She asked rhetorically.

"Go to Washington!" Abraham crowed, watching her in faint betrayal. "Fix the whole damn world!"

"That way's clear." Eugene said, inwardly eager to work with the roadblock, and take the opportunity to stall for more time. "Who knows what's north. We'll find another vehicle. We'll go with them until we do. Trust me, I'm smarter than you."

As Rosita came up on Glenn, Mason, and Tara, she gave them a tight smile. Abraham and Eugene fell into step behind them, all six now trudging down the pavement.

"Need any help carrying that?" She asked, gesturing to the large backpack over Mason's shoulder.

Mason jumped mildly in surprise at Rosita's considerate offer. "Uh, I..."

For some reason the longer she looked at him, expression open and genuine, the hotter Mason's face felt.

"I-I've got it, t-thanks." He stuttered, standing straighter. "It's not that _h-heavy_."

His eyes widened in mortification as his voice cracked shrilly on the last word.

Forcing down an amused smile, Rosita nodded. "Right, you look like you can handle it." She teased good-naturedly.

Face flushing harder, Mason looked around, humming noncommittedly.

He could practically hear Nye cackling, somewhere just out of view.


	34. Names

**This chapter deals with some really sensitive themes. If you are easily disturbed or triggered by neglect, or the death of a child, than you probably shouldn't read this.**

 **Otherwise, just know that this is TWD, where bad stuff happens. So be warned.**

 **Also, this story's officially a year old! *Confetti cannon***

* * *

 _Stepping over what had to have been the third fallen tree trunk, Nye huffed tiredly._

 _"Dude, where are we even going?"_

 _"You'll see."_

 _Grumbling incoherently, Nye glowered grouchily at the back of his head. "So secretive. Are you just luring me out here to finally do away with me." She joked, then as a new thought came to mind, she smirked cheekily. "Or, is your plan to actually have your way with m-"_

 _Before Nye could even finish her insinuation, her ankle rolled slightly on a large rock she hadn't noticed._

 _Knocking her off balance, she swiftly moved to bump up against a tree, instead of falling to the ground. But the force from the stumble, knocked the air out of her._

 _"Ow ow ow." She hissed, hand going to her stomach._

 _"You good?" Daryl asked worriedly, hand reaching out to her, but stopping midway, and falling back to his side._

 _"Peachy. Are we close?"_

 _He nodded. "Yeah, over here."_

 _A week had flown by since Nye and Daryl went to check out her neighborhood, and since then, it was clear she was back to going stir crazy. What with healing, and her promise not to go on runs, she was left in the stifling walls of the prison. And knowing what it felt like to be caged in, he sought out to help how he could._

 _And while checking the snares the day before, he was hit with an idea._

 _Finally stepping out into a small clearing, Nye saw a makeshift shooting rang. Across the few trees in the clearing, there were carved bull's-eyes meant to aim for._

 _Nye tipped her head to the side in a show of confusion. "Is this your way of telling me my aim sucks?"_

 _A small huff of a chuckle fell from his lips, though it sounded a little sheepish. "Nah, we're practicin' somethin' else."_

 _Even more confused, Nye tugged on her goggles. "Practicing what?"_

 _Without a word, Daryl shrugged off his crossbow, handing it to her. Only then did she finally realize he had brought his old one, instead the one he currently used._

 _Nye's mouth fell open, looking down at the heavy weapon now in her hands. "Are you- Are you serious?"_

 _Daryl nodded surely, despite the conflicting hesitation in his eyes. This was clearly a big deal to him, and she could easily read that. Touched by how willing he was to let her in on something that she was sure had never been shared before, Nye vowed to herself to take it all seriously._

 _Smiling crookedly, Nye gripped the crossbow. "Okay. Where do we start?"_

...

The girl attacked her food ravenously. Which was surprising after how closed off she seemed.

Now dressed in a sweater that engulfed her, and a pair of leggings, the girl was now moderately dryer than she was before. Her flushed skin dimmed a shade as well.

Shoveling countless spoonfuls of heated chicken noodle soup into her mouth, it was incredible that she could even breathe between bites.

Nye watched in faint amusement as she quietly fed Judith a bottle as the baby sat in her high-chair. Seeing that the girl had already inhaled half, Nye pushed her own bowl toward her.

"Don't make yourself sick, sweety."

Her eating faltered, looking almost like she wasn't familiar with the sentiment. After finishing her bowl, Nye nodded to her own.

"Go ahead. I'm full."

It was a total lie, but the girl looked like she needed it more than Nye did. As the girl dove back in, Nye hummed to herself, musing on something important.

"I need something to call you." She said, brushing away a dribble of formula off of Judith's chin. "I can't keep calling you "The Girl" inside my head."

The girl eyed her suspiciously, soup broth dripping from her chin, much like Judith's.

Glancing over the girl's features, Nye couldn't come up with anything. Until she looked to Samson.

With a snap of her fingers, Nye settled on a nickname.

"Pup."

Pup gave her an unamused scowl, but didn't speak up against the matter.

"You know, because Samson was taking care of you, like a puppy."

With what Nye would have sworn was an eye-roll, Pup dug back into her food.

As she was scraping the bottom of the bowl, it all finally caught up to her.

Both girls heard a low rumble come from Pup's stomach, and as she paled, Pup scrambled out of her chair, running to the bathroom.

Nye right on her heels, she flipped the toilet-seat up, hunching over the porcelain bowl.

As the smaller of the two wretched, Nye winced, kneeling down next to her, and pulling her long hair out of her face.

Going off of the sound of it hitting the inside of the bowl, it appeared that she only puked up half of what she ate, before getting a handle on it.

Nye grimaced sympathetically, keeping her hair clear. "Are you ok-"

"I'm sorry."

Nye jumped, carefully letting go of her hair, as Pup backed away, crawling back into a corner. Her voice cracking, as she watched Nye in absolute fear.

"I'm s-sorry. I'm so sorry. I d-didn't mean t-to."

Nye's heart lurched as she realized that Pup thought she was going to be punished for getting sick.

"I'm not mad." She spoke softly, making sure not to make a move towards her. "I promise I'm not. That wasn't your fault. I'm not going to do anything."

Amber eyes swimming with distrust, Pup didn't seem convinced. Or rather, she was unable to actually believe there wasn't going to be any punishment for wasting food.

Nye gave her the best smile she could offer, as she slowly stood. "C'mon, I'll get you some water to try and settle your stomach better."

After a long drag of tense silence, Pup shakily got to her feet, still keeping a fair distance away from Nye.

Nye couldn't help but notice the girl's eyes seeming a bit less wary throughout the rest of the evening.

After the incident in the bathroom, Pup didn't speak another word. But that didn't stop Nye from trying to make conversation.

"You're not allergic to anything, are you?" Nye casually asked as she whipped a blanket into the air, so it fell flat on the floor.

Pup gave her a look, baffled by why she would feel compelled to ask something like that.

Nye threw some pillows down, finishing on making a large pallet for them to sleep on. "Pretty sure this blanket's cotton. Some people are allergic to it. Are you?"

Pup slowly shook her head, honestly not sure if she was or not.

Nye nodded, stepping away from the makeshift sleeping arrangement. "Okay. I'm gonna lay Baby-Grimes down for sleep. While I'm at it, can you see if there are any candles around here?"

Pup gave an absent nod, walking away as Nye gently set Judith down in a sectioned off part of the pallet.

But as soon as she heard the sound of a door-knob turning, she realized her mistake, and shot up to her feet, dashing over to the two bedrooms.

Of course, Pup had to be opening _that one_. The door creaked open a crack, but before it could get far, Nye threw herself between Pup and the room, slamming the door behind her back. Panting slightly, Nye tried regaining her composer as Pup stared up at her, wide-eyed.

"You, uh... You can't go in there."

Pup glanced over the brunette's shoulder, and gave another nod, backing away.

Nye winced as she saw the wariness return. Sighing, she refrained the urge to give her a comforting pat on the shoulder, and instead peeled herself away from the door.

"Let's... get some sleep."

...

 _"So, babies, or kids?"_

 _Her lips turned up, as she ran her finger around the rim of her glass. "Kids. You think I could handle babies?"_

 _Paul shrugged unabashedly, taking another handful of the bar's peanuts. "Who knows. Wait, you're not taking in teenagers too, are you?"_

 _Nye shrugged this time, looking out the window, only being met by a dim parking-lot, only lit up by a single flickering street-lamp._

 _"I mean. I'm not gonna turn one away. But, they've already got a kid lined up for me."_

 _Paul's brows shot up. "Wow. This just got real all of a sudden."_

 _Nye nodded heavily, slowly downing a shot, letting the alcohol burn and ground her. "Right? He's only eight, from what they tell me, and..."_

 _"And what?"_

 _"And... he's autistic."_

 _"Wait, wasn't your brother-_

 _"Yeah."_

 _Paul hummed, taking a sip of his martini. "Well, he'll be in good hands then."_

 _Nye slowly looked up, very carefully raising a single brow._

 _"Okay," He relented. "Maybe you're not the most mature,"_

 _Nye rolled her hand in a 'go on' type motion._

 _"Or the most reliable, or patient. And you're probably the most violent girl under six feet that I know."_

 _Nye narrowed her eyes. "You can stop now."_

 _"And your sarcasm can certifiably drive people insane. You're also very paranoid, I mean, you've pretty much made sure your new apartment is ready for war. And let's not ignore the fact that you're a womanizer. Don't deny it," He cut her off as her mouth fell open. "You're not quiet, and the walls are thin."_

 _Cheeks red, Nye glared. "Are you done?"_

 _Paul nodded, sitting back in his chair. "I never even realized how many reasons there were for you to end up as not the best foster parent." He said as he blew out a long whistle._ _"How could anyone ever trust you with kids?" He asked in bewilderment._

 _Nye gave a half-hearted shrug, downing another shot. "I have no idea man. I don't even find myself charming."_

 _Paul softened, giving her a loving pat on her hand. "Don't worry, I'll think you're charming enough for the both of us."_

 _Nye's frown morphed into a smile. She opened her mouth to once again tell him to shave that God-awful mustache of his, but then a baby's cry broke through the chatter of the bar._

 _Nye's new smile dropped as soon as it came. Standing, she looked around, feeling dread hit her as the bar fell eerily quiet._

 _"This... T-this isn't how the memory goes."_

 _Stepping away from their booth, Nye walked through the crowd of intoxicated patrons, getting closer to the bar counter, where the cries got louder._

 _The cries weren't the normal kind you heard, whenever a baby was needing a change, fussy, or hungry. These were pained cries, and it made Nye's stomach roll._

 _In a blink, she was the only one left to hear the baby, as everyone else up-and vanished. Peering over the counter, Nye could see a wiggling form on the floor, as the cries got louder._

 _Much like when she had opened that bedroom door, she reeled back, away from the thing that she didn't want to have to face. But as the cries became worse, Nye's breathing became uneven in tandem with it. Closing her eyes tight enough to the point that they hurt, Nye covered her ears, wanting to just ignore what she ever saw in the first place._

 _But she couldn't. It would never go away. She would always be haunted by what was behind that door, because it was-_

"A nursery."

With a thick gasp, Nye pushed herself up, dizziness welling up in her head from getting up to quickly.

"W-w-what?" She rasped, rubbing her eyes as the prospect of getting anymore sleep slipped between her fingers like smoke.

"It's a nursery." Pup repeated, voice low as she looked over at Judith, a disturbed glint in her eyes.

Nye moved her hands down over her mouth, curling in on herself as she finally understood what must have happened.

"I told you not to go in there." She hissed through her hands, voice biting in an authoritative manor.

Pup winced, head ducking. "I-I..."

Dropping her hands, Nye tipped her head back, taking a long breath through her nose. After exhaling, she opened her eyes, looking back down at the small ravenette.

"Why didn't you listen?"

She winced again, taking a step back from Nye's angered tone.

After getting no response, Nye pursed her lips, and forced her blood-pressure to go down. Samson trotting over, laid his head down on her lap, which helped.

Pup fidgeted uncomfortably the longer Nye was silent. The goggle wearing brunette was deep in her own head, trying and failing to come up with what to say. But surprisingly, Pup was the first to speak.

"I-it's still m-moving..."

Nye grimaced, dropping her head down, her chin hitting her chest as she nodded. "Yeah. I know."

With the way Pup kept glancing at Judith, combined with her own conscience, Nye resigned herself to what had to happen next.

"Stay here."

Pup immediately moved aside as Nye stood and walked passed her. The ravenette followed the order, her feet rooted in place as she watched the older woman walk down towards the bedrooms.

Nye paused as she got to the threshold, staring into the dark nursery with chills going down her spine. Daybreak was coming, letting in the smallest bit of light through the windows.

There were baby toys piled in a brightly colored box, ready for when the infant was old enough to play with them. The walls were blue, with cartoon-y sea creatures here-and-there, to add the whimsical feeling of being under the sea. The carpet was soft and lush, she could tell that even through her shoes, with the way she faintly sunk into it as she stood there. A mobile hung, swinging only because of the air-pressure change from opening the door. And on the opposite wall, sitting under the mobile, was a crib.

Nye slowed her breathing, feeling choked up as she carefully walked towards the small crib. The air was stale, and had a morbid blend of the smell of baby-powder, and decay. A combination that should have never existed, and that Nye knew was going to stay with her for a long time.

There was a soft, frail wheeze that came from the crib, and Nye just about dropped to her knees.

Reaching the crib, Nye forced her wet eyes down, and looked at what laid inside.

On top of a white, frilly mattress, only the size of a regular pillow, was a form even smaller than Judith.

It's pastel yellow onesie rustled, bunching up in certain places, as a tiny, bony hand stretched up, grabbing at her.

The action was nearly identical to how Judith always reached for her, which made it all so much worse.

Taking a wet, stilted gasp, Nye very gently picked up the baby blanket at the end of the crib, laying it over the moving body. In her pocket, her pocket-knife felt hot and heavy, burning a hole in her side, where it sat.

Taking it out, and holding it to the tiny temple, there was a feeling of acceptance at what was happening. Acceptance that this was the right thing to do, despite how sick it felt.

It was the easiest her knife had ever pierced a skull, in terms of physical force. But the mental struggle, easily made it the hardest one she ever had to deal with. And finally, from a moral standpoint, not only was it justified, it was humane.

Once the tiny body stopped moving, the weight lifted, with a new one replacing it. Taking her knife out, Nye dropped it carelessly on the floor, not intending to ever pick it back up. The dead blood coating the knife seeping into the once pristine carpet.

The walk from the nursery, into the living-room was a blur, until she saw Pup, sitting vigilantly over Judith, body coiled and ready to defend the baby.

Seeing how the nursery had effected her, Nye let her anger slip away. Giving Pup a touched look, she leaned against the wall.

"She'll be fine. No one's coming to hurt her."

Pup hesitated, slowly moving away from the sleeping baby. But her eyes still watched her like a hawk.

"Who... W-who do you think did i-it?"

Brows raising, Nye shifted uncomfortably. "I... well, I don't think it happened on purpose."

Pup looked innocently confused, head cocking to the side. "You don't?"

Feeling slightly unsettled at how Pup was assuming the baby had been murdered, Nye stepped farther into the room. "No. The mother, I think, is in the other room. She died from a bite, from what I can tell. And if she did, then the baby would have been left to..."

"Die." Pup finished, voice bothered, but not as much as it should have been. Almost like she was familiar with the situation. Not just familiar though, she seemed used to it.

Nye hummed lowly in the back of her throat. "Yeah. Come help me look for shovels." She said, partially to get her a little farther away from Judith. She wanted to protect the kid, but not at the risk of the youngest Grimes.

Morning sunlight was shining, casting everything into a yellowish light. The grass was wet, and birds were chirping cheerily. It was a beautiful morning. But not for the people hiding in the woods, all separated and wanting to reunite, but not knowing where to look.

Successfully finding a shovel hidden leaning against the side of the house, alongside a rake and man-powered lawnmower, Nye chose a spot not far from the house, and started digging.

It needed to be deep, as Nye wanted to make sure that it lasted, and the ground wouldn't be able to reject them.

Pup sat, leaned against the house, always keeping an eye on Judith, who was sitting on a blanket to protect her from the cold dew on the grass. She laid on her stomach, craning her head up to watch the working brunette. Pup had been sceptical when Nye set her down like that, but the woman insisted "tummy time" is something babies need to do, to help development or something.

Wiping her forehead, and accidentally smearing dirt across it, Nye huffed deeply, checking how far she had dug, using the shovel as a way to measure it.

Pup hadn't asked what she was doing, even though she had no idea. She planned to just wait and see.

The sun was at peak position by the time Nye finished digging the grave, and she had never been so tired. As she stepped out of the deep hole, she ignored the aching and burning in her arm, refusing to check how the gunshot wound was doing.

Inside the house, Nye carefully dragged the woman's body outside and into the grave, then, she went back inside and picked up the baby's body, trying to detach herself from the situation as she carried it out of the house and over to the grave as well.

Uncovering the baby, Nye laid it down on its mother's chest, arranging them in a position that had some resemblance to a mother just holding her baby as they both slept. But the idea was broken, as soon as you actually looked, and saw how decayed the two were.

Nye forgot when it was that she stopped gagging at the sight of most corpses.

Finally, to finish it off, she rested a plain white sheet over them, the general shape of their bodies all that you could see now.

With a sigh, though it was one of relief, Nye started the much easier job of shoveling the dirt back on the two.

Throughout the whole ordeal, Nye only ever stopped when Judith became hungry, or needed a change. Pup didn't say a word about being hungry, even though Nye could hear the girl's stomach over her shoveling. So once the dirt was all back in the hole, filling up the grave, Nye ushered everyone back inside to finally eat.

Judith suckled happily on her bottle, while the two other girls were hungry enough that they started eating their soup cold.

Pup watched in faint fascination as Nye sat on the floor, assembling a cross between bites of soup. The woman was covered in dirt, her hands looked raw, and she kept wincing whenever she moved her left arm. But with a spoon sticking out of her mouth, Nye resolutely focused on making a cross, expression close to a glare from the force of her concentration.

Pup chose to hop out of her chair, hesitating for only a second, before sitting down next to Nye, both now leaning against the counter as Judith watched from her high-chair.

Pushing the spoon out of her mouth, and into the empty bowl at her side, Nye tied a shoelace tightly around two thick sticks of wood. Weaving it around, and tightening it to the point where neither stick wobbled.

"Wish I knew their names."

Pup paused, spoon stopping midway to her mouth. "Why?"

Nye looked to her right, face conveying a level of concern for Pup. "Because names are important. Burying people is important. Keeping up with how to be a good person, even in this world, is important."

Pup set her bowl down, watching Nye carefully. "But _why_?"

Gently laying down the cross, Nye's eye shined with a tender form of pity. "Because the world ended, but we're still here. People that are still living and breathing, need to look out for each other, and need to learn that just surviving, isn't the same as living."

Pup's breath hitched, as every lesson that had been beaten into her, came flooding back.

"No. Names don't matter anymore. Neither do people. We gotta follow the dead, _that's_ how we survive."

To her surprise, Nye didn't even flinch at her outburst. She only watched the smaller girl in a searching way, that almost made her feel like she was being X-rayed. It felt like Nye could see it all on display, and it made her skin crawl.

"I had a group."

Pup stiffened, a line appearing between her brows as she looked at the brunette strangely.

"It was big. We had a whole prison that we turned into a place we could be safe. Judith's dad was our leader, and he used to be a sheriff's deputy. There was a lot of us. And a lot we lost." Nye's voice was brittle, recalling things that hurt. "I love everyone in my group like family. But I love two people more than life itself. My sons, Mason and Toby." Nye's hand came up, hesitating partway through, but it actually made it to its destination this time, as she very gently laid it on Pup's shoulder. "Being in this world doesn't mean you have to let the old one go, not completely. I don't know who you were with before I found you, but I promise whatever they taught you is flawed. A group should be like a family, not like a pack of wolves."

Nye smiled, hand giving the gentlest of squeezes. "And, when I find them again, I would love it if we could all show you what a real group is. Together."

Pup swallowed, feeling like she was being torn in half. Years of conditioning stays with you, and when compared with only two days worth of gentle touches and kind words, it should have severely outwayed the temptation of what Nye was offering. But, her group was gone, and they weren't going to come looking for her. And as much as she wished to deny it, Nye's way of talking, and genuine care, reminded her painfully of her father.

In the future, she'll look back on this, knowing it was the best choice she could have ever made. And deep down, she knew it was because this woman, Niagara, had her bleeding-heart out on her sleeve, ready to be scrutinized and judged, but also open and willing to care about those who deserved it.

Lip quivering, Pup gave the tiniest trace of a nod.

Nye positively beamed, lowering her hand down from Pup's shoulder, and held it out to her instead.

"So, let's start over." She suggested, smiling in a way that was somehow crooked, yet held an air of maturity. "My name's Niagara. What's yours?"

Pup sucked in a sharp breath, looking down at the offered hand. She knew that if she took it, there was no going back. And yet despite telling herself that, this time, she reached forward and gripped the larger hand in her own.

With one final swallow, Pup looked up into Nye's emerald green eyes, that stared back at her eagerly. As their hands moved up and down, her quivering lips spoke a name she hadn't uttered in what seemed like a lifetime.

"Lydia."


	35. Luck

***Girlish screaming* YOU DON'T KNOW HOW LONG I'VE WAITED TO PUT LYDIA IN THE STORY! NYE'S GONNA ADOPT THE WHOLE CHILD POPULACE OF TWD JUST WATCH ME**

 **Okay, I'm kidding on the last part. But omfg I love Lydia, and I knew the second we saw her backstory, that I was gonna have to change some things. Don't worry, the Whisperers aren't gonna come outta nowhere and cause trouble. As far as I'm concerned they all died do to a huge wardrobe malfunction, and Lydia's the only one left.**

 **Also, if you pieced things together and figured it out before she said the name, than good job! Have a cookie! (=^w^=)**

 **(Please review!)**

* * *

" _It's pretty suspicious, don't you think?_ "

Daryl ignored the voice at his side, marching on through the woods with that same stern and closed off expression on his face, that he'd had since they had to leave the prison.

Beth was only a few paces behind him, so he held himself back from telling her- _It_ to leave him alone.

" _Thinking of me as an 'it' is pretty rude, my dude._ "

He grinded his teeth together, knuckles white as he gripped his crossbow.

He heard it sigh, and mumble something under its breath.

" _I'm gonna get you to snap at some point. You do have a record of yelling at ghosts._ "

"Ain't a ghost." He growled lowly before he could stop himself.

Beth perked up behind him. "You say somethin'?"

"No."

The thing beside him smirked, walking faster so it was slightly ahead, and in his line of sight.

Without meaning to, he watched it, eyes drinking in the image his mind conjured.

It gave him a look of faux concern, but dropped it in favor of a sultry smile. " _Damn, you've got her body memorized. Right down to the last scar. Cute, kinda creepy, but cute._ "

He swallowed down any curse that sat at the tip of his tongue, pointedly looking passed it like it wasn't there.

" _Fine, ignore me. But I'm still gonna talk._ "

He inwardly scoffed. _So like the real thing than._

She smirked wider. " _Now you're getting it!_ " She leaned in, and spoke in a whisper-y voice. " _Also, you slipped, you're thinking of me as "she" again, not "it"._ "

Face flushing in irritation, he gave no other physical signal that he heard her, but she never did need one, did she? It was always like she could see inside his head, and at some point, it stopped bothering him.

Falling back into step with him, she glanced back at Beth, a flicker of something resembling jealousy hiding in the expanse of green. " _She hasn't said anything about me. She's egged you on with Ace and Smalls, and everyone, really. But she hasn't even mentioned my name._ " She looked up at him, innocently blinking. " _Just, seems kinda suspicious. That's all._ "

He really didn't like what she was implying, so chancing it, he gave her a side-eyed glare. Knowing that if Beth saw, she would most likely think he was losing his mind. But he couldn't bring himself to care.

She dropped the innocent look, face taking on an expression of concern, that was much more like the real Nye. " _But for real, you gotta stop. Take a breather. You look angry and exhausted, which isn't a good combination for you._ "

 _I'm fine._

" _You're really not._ " She fired back, arms crossing. " _You're in no condition to even keep yourself safe, let alone her. C'mon Hotshot, five minutes, that's all I ask._ "

Against his will, his legs seemed to turn to lead, halting him in his tracks.

"Daryl?"

The image of Nye standing beside him grinned, leaning back on a tree. _"That's all it took? You're adorable. I think you're whipped._ "

Glaring at her, he stopped grinding his teeth long enough to answer Beth.

"We're takin' a break."

"O-okay."

Watching the exchange, the image of Nye fidgeted uncomfortably, then looked harshly at Daryl. " _Keep in mind, she's only a little older than the boys. So don't get any ideas._ "

Thrown by her vehemence, he flushed and quickly berated himself, because there was no way Nye would actually be jealous of Beth. She was only acting like this because she was something in his head.

Hearing his train of thought, as always, she rolled her eyes. " _For the love of Christ, you're as dense as a damn brick._ "

Just as fast as she came, she disappeared, leaving him feeling sufficiently uncomfortable, and leaving Beth fairly confused.

...

"So then, once you feel something on the line, you reel it in as fast as you can, okay?"

Lydia nodded, holding tightly onto a fishing rod. Nye sat next to her, holding her own.

The brunette smiled proudly, slowly reaching over, and giving a soft pat on her straight raven hair.

Lydia jumped, but less harshly than the previous times. Nye wanted her to get used to physical affection, as that was something she would be getting a lot of from the group.

Adjusting her grip on the rod handle, Nye flinched at the burning pain in her shoulder. Looking around, she thought up a good excuse to take a break and go back in the house. "Let's get inside, it's probably passed midnight."

Lydia nodded, reeling in her cast as Nye picked up Judith. As the walked through the front door, something caught the ravenette's attention.

"I smell smoke."

Stopping, Nye looked out, smelling it now too. Sure enough, smoke billowed up into the night sky, almost invisible with the starry backdrop. Whatever caused it, was a ways away, too far to be concerned about.

"Maybe it's a forest fire." Nye suggested, rocking Judith despite her aching arm.

Lydia nodded, walking passed her and into the house. "Someone didn't put out their campfire, I bet."

Nye started humming in agreement, but it cut off. Eyes widening, Nye jogged after Lydia, who was getting ready for sleep.

"Pup, a campfire means people."

"Yeah."

"These woods are full of _my_ people."

Lydia dropped the pillow she was holding as Nye started to giggle hysterically.

"It might be one of mine! We have to go check and make sure!"

"N-now?" Lydia stuttered, knowing it was a bad idea, but she wasn't going to argue with the closest thing she had to an Alpha.

Nye paused, but logic, and the girls' safety beat out her need to find the others. "No, not tonight. But we're heading out early tomorrow, so get some sleep."

Lydia held back from mentioning that it could be one of hers. But the likelyhood of a Whisperer setting a campfire, was slim. So she wasn't too concerned.

...

"Jacket zipped, got your knives... anything else?"

Lydia shook her head, feeling something fuzzy in her chest as Nye made sure she was armed and warm.

"Okay." She straightened up, Judith dozing on her back. Opening the door, Nye waited until both Lydia and Samson had stepped out, before she did, closing the door behind her.

They were carrying all their gear and supplies, just incase someone found and ransacked the house. Nye held Daryl's old crossbow, ready to be fired, while Lydia had almost all of the knives. It turned out that her group never used guns, unless things were absolutely dire. So the ravenette wasn't proficient with them.

Following the smoke was proving difficult, as it had dissipated in the night. But Nye was holding out hope that there was still a chance to catch up with the mystery fire starter.

The ground was still muddy, but was also blanketed under a bed of red and brown leafs. Nye hadn't been paying attention to the scenery, so it was just hitting her that they had to be entering autumn, instead of being somewhere in summer like she originally thought. It made sense, with the small chill in the air, and dying greenery.

Judith snuggled into her back, cozy in a fleece onesie, and a tiny knit hat. Lydia got the same treatment, and was wearing a thick jacket, and scarf around her neck. It might have been overkill, and they might have even been a little too warm, but Nye wasn't taking any chances. As for the brunette, she was only protected from the chill, by a thin hoodie. She felt too hot if she put on anything else.

Huffing, Nye absentmindedly wiped her brow, the flushed skin covered in a layer of sweat.

In front of her, Lydia came to an abrupt halt. Looking over her head, Nye inhaled sharply, and ran past her.

It was a camp. A big one.

Nye stumbled into the center of the cleared out area, looking over the place to see if she could locate anything familiar. All six tents in the camp were empty, blankets messy and discarded inside them. The more stuff Nye spotted, that she knew wasn't from the prison, the heavier she felt.

Almost positive the camp belonged to strangers, Nye turned back around to Lydia.

"It's not my group. Let's-"

Lydia's eyes were wide, staring up at Nye, searching for guidance, as a large and dirty hand was clamped down over her shoulder. Nye's eyes followed the hand, up the arm, and finally to the face of its owner.

If she met him before the outbreak, she wouldn't have thought much, as the man looked like the epitome of an average Joe. But now, all she saw was someone dangerous, and who needed to be avoided. And once he spoke, Nye was sure that he wasn't going to make things easier.

"Wow, look at my luck." He crowed, lips pulling back in a grin, revealing yellowed teeth. His eyes were never on one spot long, bloodshot and twitchy. A nauseatingly interested look reflected in his eyes, as he spotted Judith.

Samson, stationed at Nye's side, growled lowly at the man. Hackles raised as he bared his teeth.

"Yeah, lucky you," Nye started, voice holding a hidden tremble. "You'll keep being lucky, so long as you let her go."

Lydia's posture practically screamed for instructions, as her hands shook at her sides.

His hand tightened around Lydia's left shoulder, as he jerked her closer, so she was pressed up against his front.

"Nah, don't think I will. So why don't you drop that bow of yours, 'fore you hurt yourself."

For a beat, Nye didn't moved, hands gripping the crossbow like a lifeline. But Judith's warm weight on her back, drove Nye to slowly lowering it to the ground.

The man grinned, nodding approvingly. "Good girl."

Skin crawling, Nye straightened back up, making a split-second decision as she saw the pale look on Lydia's face.

"I-" Nye croaked, clearing her throat, as her body seemed to fight her on her choice. "I'll make you a d-deal."

The man perked up, eyeing Nye slowly, his thoughts broadcasted by how he adjusted his stance, and licked his lips.

"Let's hear it."

Part of her wanted to back out, but that part was beaten down by Judith's weight, and Lydia's worried gaze. She so badly wanted her redneck to come running out of the surrounding foliage, but she also couldn't stand the thought of him seeing her at such a low point.

"You let them go. And I'll..."

The man stared her down hungrily. "You'll...?"

Nye glared, but quickly schooled her expression into one that was unassuming. "I'll stay here." She rushed out in one breath.

Lydia's mouth dropped open, as her eyes managed to get wider. The ravenette's look of mighty concern was comforting.

"Deal."

In the span of three seconds, several things happened.

Nye felt a crushing weight in her chest, resigning herself to one of the horrors in the world that she had done well in avoiding, up until now.

The man let his guard down, too caught up in the promise of a new plaything.

Lydia's eyes dropped to Nye's crossbow, that still sat at her feet. Then flickered to Samson.

His razor sharp teeth, glistening from saliva, finally gave Lydia some instruction.

Turning her head to the left, Lydia bit down on his hand with everything she had. Blood quickly filled her mouth, but it only drove her to bite harder.

The reaction was instant, as her teeth broke skin, the man howled in pain, trying to pull his hand away, to no avail.

Making use of the distraction, Nye scooped up her crossbow off of the ground, aiming up at the man.

His free arm came up, elbow bent, and ready to slam down on the ravenette to make her let go. But as he moved to hit her, a bolt shot out, piercing clean through his forearm.

Now unable to use either hand without inflicting pain on himself, Nye whistled for Lydia's attention.

"Run!"

Opening her jaw, blood dripping down her chin, Lydia dashed around the man, and out into the thick woods, Nye and Samson chasing right after her.

The man screamed profanities, but didn't sound like he was coming after them.

As they ran, Nye's throat constricted as she was hit with the realization that the camp had been way too big for just one person. So that meant, while her people were in these woods, so was that man's people.

Thinking about the implications of her group and theirs, sharing a living space, made her stomach turn even worse than before, especially as she looked back on how the man had been staring at Judith.

Lydia finally slowed, glancing back at her caretaker.

Nye trudged up to her side, leaning her shoulder on a tree. "I don't think they're after us." She muttered between pants of breath. Her flushed face even redder than before.

Lydia's breath hitched a few times as she struggled to even her breathing. Her hair was in total disarray, strands plastered to her face, and others curling up into the air.

"What now?" She asked meekly.

Nye thought for a moment, coming to the jarring notice, that she had no idea where they were. After running for so far, and not minding the turns they took, it left them completely lost.

Tipping her head back, Nye focused on the pain in her arm. "I don't know. We lost the house."

Lydia froze, not even twitching as Samson started to lick her hand. Wheels turning at max speed, Lydia came to terms that, at least for a while, they were going to have to do things her way.

"We need to find some of the Dead."

...

 _She opened the door slowly, careful to keep it quiet. But as she stepped into the apartment, the lights turned on, causing her to flinch._

 _"Where were you?!"_

 _Keeping her eyes on the floor, Nye didn't even bother to shrug. She had been doing her best to avoid him for the past week for a reason._

 _Paul stepped further into the room, rubbing his face in irritation. "I know we're not that close, and that we're just sharing this place for now, but you can't just disappear! I was just getting ready to call the... c-cops- Oh my God, are you okay?"_

 _Nye jumped as Paul was suddenly in front of her, gripping her forearms and making her look up at him. Feeling something warm and wet slide down her cheek, Nye finally realized that she was crying. Something that gravely concerned her roommate, who had never seen her so emotional before._

 _"You're crying! What happened? Why are you crying?!" He looked her up and down, a worried hum coming from deep in his throat. "And what the hell are you wearing-"_

 _The tears, and dark attire seemed to click, as Paul's face blanched. Reeling his hands back, as if burned, he stood stiff and awkward, clearly in unfamiliar territory._

 _"Was... Were you at a funeral?"_

 _Her expression must have darkened, as Paul flinched soon after asking._

 _Swallowing down the thickness in her throat, Nye did her best to reign things in as she tried brushing past her roommate._

 _"Nope. I was out partying. Good night."_

 _The false nonchalance in her tone was so see-through, she couldn't even try to pretend it was true after saying it._

 _Paul gently reached for her arm before she could escape to the solitude of her room. His crystal blue eyes were open, and genuinely worried, even for the girl he shared only one or two sentences with every other day. They weren't close, and Nye didn't even think he remembered her full name. But as he cautiously pulled her around to face him, she didn't resist._

 _Her head was ducked, loose hair falling in front of her face to better hide her pain. The hand on her arm didn't let go, but instead it gave a careful squeeze._

 _"We... we don't talk much. And, I'd like to change that."_

 _Brows bunched together, Nye looked up at him from under her wet lashes._

 _He smiled, so tenderly and sincere that Nye felt her chest constrict. With gentle hands, he brushed her hair out of her face, settling them on her shoulders once they were done._

 _He took a deep breath, and sighed through his nose, smile bitter at the world on her behalf. "And even though we don't talk, I'm not blind. I've noticed things, and I... I just wish the world would stop taking things away from you. And actually give for once."_

 _Nye was sure that she was no longer breathing, as she looked fully up, to meet his eyes._

 _Somehow, someway, he had caught on to things that even past girlfriends hadn't. Things Nye thought she had been keeping flawlessly to her chest. But little did she know, Paul had been right next to her the whole time, peeking over her shoulder and at the hand of cards she had been dealt. And the craziest part, was he did it with ease._

 _He flipped her open and read her like a book. And for once, he wasn't afraid of the story inside. Unlike so many others before him, Paul didn't run from the monsters of her past that were depicted inside, instead he chose to face them head-on, and even try to help protect her from them._

 _And for the first time in her life, Nye didn't try to shut him out. She didn't close up with a lock and key, and she didn't try to burn the pages. For the first time, she let herself be the damsel in distress, and she let Paul try to save her._

 _Bottom lip pulled between her teeth, to keep from wobbling, Nye's vision blurred as a new cascade of tears filled her eyes, before rolling down. Her shoulder jumped under his hands, as she let her breathing become shallow and hitched._

 _Paul's eyes became a little wet, as he pulled her into him._

 _The second she was shielded in his arms, she lost the battle to stay silent. Long wails echoed from her chest, as she buried her face into his embrace._

 _A hand came up to the back of her head, patting it gently._

 _"This is okay. You're allowed to cry, Niagara."_

 _Her knees hit the floor, and Paul followed right after her._

 _She'd come to learn, that Paul would follow her to the gates of hell and back if he had to. And he would do it all with a smile. Because that's just who he was._

...

Dusk brought the chill down to a cold that Nye hadn't felt in awhile. As it nipped at her, her flushed face cooled slightly.

A Walker laid dead in front of them. Dispatched expertly by Lydia.

"Now what." Nye asked, repeating the question Lydia had asked her previously.

The ravenette held her knife firmly, lips pinched as she thought through their options.

It was too late to skin it, there was only one, and they didn't have the needed supplies. So wearing it was off the table.

That really only left them with one choice.

Lydia crouched down, stabbing its chest deeply, starting at its collarbone, and raking it down, all the way to its belt.

"W-what are you doing?"

Lydia, instead of answering verbally, dipped her hands into its open chest cavity.

Nye's jaw fell open, as her face finally lost its red sheen, in favor of draining to white.

Not wanting to scare her off, Lydia calmly looked up at her as she smeared Walker blood over her clothes. "We don't have time to skin it, so we gotta make do with the blood."

" _Skin it_?!" Nye whispered shrilly. "W-what even is the benefit of-"

But as she was talking, she distantly remembered that Michonne used to use Walkers for camouflage.

"Oh." She murmured, looking fearfully down into the open Walker. "I get it."

"Your turn."

Before Nye could say a word, Lydia stood up, a handful of mystery organs in both hands. With an unbothered look on her face, Lydia squished her hands against Nye stomach, and started smearing it all around.

Nye clenched her eyes shut, throwing her head back as a bone-deep cringe rocked her body. A shudder ran from her feet to her scalp, then back again, as Lydia went in with another handful.

"I hate my li-i-ife." Nye stiltedly sung under her breath as Lydia finished up. Because it wasn't the best idea to cover Judith in it, Nye had to double-up. Leaving her wet, cold, and smelling like the dead.

"Okay, we should be good for the night." Lydia assured. Dropping her bag, she flopped right down on the dirt, used to sleeping that way.

"We're just gonna, like, sleep out here?"

Lydia nodded, cheeks covered in brown blood. "Yeah."

"Oh." Nye blinked, glancing at the dead Walker in disdain as she sat down. With careful movement, Nye leaned back against a tree, Judith held carefully in her lap, in a position where no delicate skin was coming in contact with the Walker blood.

"So, is this normal for your group?"

Lydia seemed thoughtful for a moment, then shook her head as it rested on her arm. "Sleeping like this, yes. The blood, no."

"You, uh, mentioned something about skinning?"

Lydia traced random shapes in the dirt, bored as if they were having a conversation about school. "Yeah. We skin and tan them to make masks and stuff. And we walk in groups like they do. The Dead I mean."

"Ah, okay." Nye replied lamely.

Lydia looked up at her as Samson sat down against her side. "You get used to the smell. Just try to ignore it."

Nye pursed her lips, another shudder going down her spine. "Right. Yeah. Sounds doable."

If Lydia noticed the sarcasm in her voice, she didn't show it.

Birds fell quiet as it got dark, the sound of crickets chirping took its place. As the temperature dropped a couple more degrees, a steady pile of blankets was being added over Judith.

Nye wasn't sure when, or even how she fell asleep, but at some point her eyelids fell shut, refusing to reopen. Limbs heavy, and unresponsive, her head rested carelessly on the tree behind her. The burning in her left arm was little more than a tingle now, one that ran all the way down to her fingertips.

Her fever, and soreness should have been red-flags, but her wound remained unchecked.

...

The burning house roared behind them, burning their backs from its heat. Its structure was crumbling away, engulfed by the man-made inferno. And with it, Daryl and Beth's animosity burned too.

The thick and uncomfortable tension was gone, dispersed over some moonshine, and confessions.

Daryl had finally let it out, tears down his face, that he blamed himself for the loss of the prison, because he had stopped looking for The Governor. Beth inturn told him she didn't blame him for it in the slightest. And she admitted to feeling weaker than some of the other women in the group.

But that brought up an entirely new problem to face.

 _"I'm not Michonne. I'm not Carol. I'm not Maggie. I've survived and you don't get it 'cause I'm not like you or them!"_

Beth looked up to Nye, that much was obvious. The brunette had always served as the comic relief in a way, trying to make everyone else happy and comfortable, even at the expense of her own feelings. And that was something that Beth had respected from the start.

So why, than, would she _still_ not breathe a word about the brunette.

The phantom footsteps at his side only furthered the questions flying around in his head.

Maybe it was the moonshine, or maybe it was just the tightening in his chest that wouldn't let up, but either way, he found himself stopping.

"You ain't said her name. Not once."

Beth stopped too, shoulders bunched up higher as she tensed. For a moment, she didn't say anything, or move. But when she finally turned around to look at him, the expression on her face made his stomach roll.

Mourning. A deep grievous sadness sat murkily in her eyes. With a heavy frown, she sagged in exhaustion.

"...I didn't think you'd want me to bring her up. Now that she's..." She trailed off, eyes dropping to the ground.

The tightness in his chest got worse. The phantom next to him stood back, just out of sight, but close enough that he knew she was there.

"She's what?"

Beth looked back up at him, brows drawn together as her frown deepened, before it seemed to click. Her pupals shrunk to pinpricks, as her mouth came uselessly open.

His stomach tied into knots, Daryl shifted his weight uneasily. "She's what?"

There was a crack in his voice, but he didn't even notice.

Beth sucked in a sharp gasp, hand slowly coming up to her mouth. She looked like she so badly wanted to run from the conversation, but she stayed, knowing that Daryl needed to know.

"I-I thought you already knew." She stuttered into her hand. She looked scared, but not of Daryl himself. It was fear that she was about to break the hunter. "The way you've been actin'... I-I thought... you knew."

Swallowing what felt like cotton, Daryl tried to even his breathing. "Knew _what_?"

Beth winced, a hiccup wracked her chest, as she fought to keep a straight face. "Knew t-that..." She stopped, taking a second to recollect her thoughts, before starting over. "At the p-prison, we were lookin' for Judith. It was right a-after," Her throat closed up, refusing to speak of what happened to her father. " _After_ , and there was screamin' and gunshots..."

The longer Beth talked, the more and more Daryl wanted to stop her. Every word added to the weight in his chest, and tightened the knot in his stomach. But despite that, he stayed quiet, feeling paralyzed as Beth retold what had happened back at the prison.

"A-and outta nowhere, s-she..." Her voice quaked. "She was just... b-bleedin'."

With a sniffle, Beth raised her watery gaze up to his.

"She told me to go... and there was _so much blood_."

As Beth's eyes watered, she held on, and kept all the tears there. Not a single one falling. But her next words were brittle, and resigned. And with them, Daryl felt the floor come out from underneath him, in the worst way possible.

"I'm sorry. _She's gone_."

A soft hand, that wasn't even really there, rested itself on his shoulder, giving a painfully caring squeeze.

In the end, it seemed calling her 'Sunshine' was spot on. As he was faced with the excruciating knowledge that not even Niagara Conner could beat the odds, and keep lighting up the people and places around her. Because the world was just too good at snuffing out the only pure things left.

And as much as he would like to call it quits right then and there, he was now faced with a challenge that he would be damned to lose.

He needed to find Ace and Smalls.

The hand on his shoulder vanished. A crooked smile and soft voice went with it.

 _"And that's why you're my favorite."_

...

When Lydia awoke, the sun was shining brightly, casting them in light, and warming them from the rays. Sitting up, she yawned and tiredly rubbed at the dried blood on her face.

Samson rolled over onto his back, whining his way through a yawn as he shifted in his Walker blood covered vest.

As the ravenette reached over and started scratching the fur under his chin, a booming gunshot echoed its way through the forest, startling Lydia and Samson. The Saint Bernard shot up, ears pointed towards where the echo came from.

Judith began fussing, wiggling under her blankets uncomfortably, irritated by the sudden and loud noise.

But even with the agitated baby on her lap, Nye remained dead to the world. Her face flushed, and her breathing labored.

Lydia frowned, standing and walking over to the brunette. A gentle tap on the shoulder didn't rouse her, and neither did giving a solid shake.

Unease started setting in, as Nye laid on the tree, limp as a ragdoll. But what was making Lydia worry most, was how hot to the touch she felt.

Giving it the benefit of the doubt, Lydia sat down next to the woman, deciding to give her a little more time to rest.

A little more time, turned into an hour. Which slowly edged onto three.

Stomach growling, Lydia carefully held Judith to her chest as she pulled out a can of soup, and bottle from the night before. As Judith gussled down her formula, Lydia ate the solidified soup, using her pointer and middle fingers as a spoon.

When they were both full, and Nye still didn't show any sign of waking up, Lydia was beginning to panic.

After a long and harsh debate with herself, Lydia slowly stood, cradling Judith. Taking the knives, and after some hesitation, Nye's black pistol, Lydia turned to Samson.

"Stay."

The Saint Bernard obediently sat down, tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth as he panted at Nye's side.

The blood caked on the brunette was still very strong, so Lydia felt safe enough in her plan. The woman had been so sure that her people were in the surrounding woods, so the ravenette was going to take an uncharacteristic leap of faith, and go investigate the gunshot.

The two most likely outcomes, were either, it was more of those men from the night before. Or, it was someone the woman knew, that would hopefully help.

It was obvious to anyone that Nye was sick. But Lydia didn't know just how sick she was, until she refused to wake up. Now it was a matter of doing damage control, and trying to find someone who could help.

Years of strict lessons from her mother were jumping around in her head, making her second guess the plan, even as she was walking away.

Setting some rules helped calm her, so Lydia made a mental list of them. It was filled with things like, if the sun started setting, turn back. If she's met by a group of men, run. If she hears more gunshots, run. If Judith starts crying, turn back and abort mission in favor of sticking closer to the baby's preferred person.

The list grew longer as Lydia kept walking. The further she got from the closest thing she had to a guardian at the time, the more she felt wary and fidgety.

But as the trees started thinning out, she spotted an artificial light in the distance. There was a lantern hanging over the real porch light of a house, two shadows moved behind windows, and the thin and feminine silhouette Lydia spotted, gave the girl hope that it wasn't the group they previously ran into.

With excitement over her plan working, Lydia started running towards the house, hand held over the back of Judith's head to keep it from bouncing.

Her body, dressed in dark and covered in blood, must have stuck out from all the dying greenery, because as she got closer to the house, the door swung open.

Lydia's feet stalled, as two people stepped out of the house.

The first one, was an older woman, with short grey hair, and a severe look on her face. Her gun was firmly in hand, ready to be raised. The second person, was a tall and broad black man, a ratty beanie sitting atop his head. He looked concerned, and shocked as he looked back and forth between Lydia and Judith.

The short haired woman looked over the ravenette, a pained frown settling on her face the longer she looked at the young girl.

Lydia panted, holding Judith protectively to her chest, suddenly less sure of her plan.

"Who are you?" The woman demanded, seemingly unmoved by the girl's age, and still treating her like a potential threat.

Lydia thought it was a good move, but found it bothersome at the moment.

The man set a hand down on the woman's shoulder in a calming gesture. "She's a kid. And she's holding a baby."

The woman pursed her lips, eyes glazed over. "Lizzie was a kid. And look what happened." She breathed, causing the man to tense.

Lydia glanced between the two, tightening her hold on Judith. "My fr- The woman I'm with, is sick, and she won't wake up."

The man frowned in sympathy, while the woman glared suspiciously.

"Was she bit?"

Lydia opened her mouth to tell her no, but she paused, as she wasn't actually sure what that bandage on Nye's arm was for.

"I... I-I don't..."

As Lydia stammered, Judith started fussing, shifting in her hold in malcontent.

With a deep breath, Lydia looked to the two adults, desperately hoping to help the woman who was the first to show humanity to her in a long time.

"I need help. She has a fever I think, a-and I don't know how to help. It's just her, me, and Judith, so please-"

"Judith?"

Lydia blinked as the woman dropped her guard, eyes wide and glistening as she looked down at the baby in the ravenette's arms, a hopeful and amazed shine swimming all over her.

Slowly nodding, Lydia took a hesitant step back. "Yeah."

The two adults shared a sort of wonder-struck look, before they settled their gaze back on the baby.

"Judith _Grimes_?" The woman asked shakily, stepping down the porch, eyes never leaving the infant.

Lydia nodded as hope started to fill her. Nye had called Judith 'Baby-Grimes' before, so that meant these people knew her. Or at least the tiny Grimes.

Suddenly the man looked up from the baby, intense expression boring into Lydia.

"You said you're with a woman?"

Lydia offered another meek nod. "We have to hurry, she's really sick."

Without question the woman stowed away her gun, marching on into the woods from which Lydia came. The man was right behind her, ushering Lydia on.

"Show us the way." The woman ordered. But there was an underline eagerness in her tone.

Nodding surely this time, Lydia picked up the pace, leading them through the trees, and back to Nye.


	36. M, T, D

**This chapter deals with graphic depictions of gore. If you're squeamish at all, you've been warned.**

 **Also, spoilers for Fight Club, I guess. Just to cover all bases.**

* * *

It felt like ants were crawling on, and under her skin. Itching and burning, but Nye couldn't move to brush them off, or scratch herself. The tree felt hard and sharp against her back, worse than before, and every little sound drilled into her ears like a jackhammer.

But the worst part by far, was the pain in her arm. It burned, while the rest of her felt chilled, with throbbing accenting every twitch.

Breathing was hard too, as it felt like no matter how hard she tried, her chest wouldn't expand to full size.

Something in the back of her mind was telling her that something was missing, but it was muffled, and incoherent. Before she even knew it, she was drifting back off, the world fading out of focus again.

...

"Over here!"

Samson sat up, tail wagging as Lydia approached the tree. Judith was being held by the man, Tyreese, now.

As they got close enough to make out the body, the woman, Carol, started running.

Dropping to her knees, she tipped Nye's head in every direction, looking her over. The bandage on her arm caught Carol's attention, but they would check that back at the house.

"Nye." She sighed in relief, smiling thinly as a new wash of tears filled her eyes.

The day had started in the worst way it ever could. Lizzie standing over Mika's dead body would forever haunt Carol. As would the resulting need to take care of Lizzie in the only way she could.

But Nye, and Judith's appearance, started to tip the scales. It was minor, and would never erase the pain of losing her girls, but at least they had regained some of their family in return.

"We need to get her back to the house." Carol said sternly, looking up at Tyreese. "Can you carry her?"

Tyreese nodded without hesitation, passing Judith back over to Lydia. His arm was still healing, but he was more than willing to set aside his own pain, in favor of Nye's health and safety.

When being held in Tyreese's arms, Nye looked even smaller than normal. Her scrawny body nearly looked like a young teenager's, as she was dwarfed by the man carrying her.

Carol watched over the brunette, and infant she now carried, like a hawk. Lydia threw all their bags over her shoulder, making sure to take Nye's crossbow too. While Carol held her, it didn't escape her notice that Judith looked fine. Better than fine even, she looked perfectly healthy.

"How have you been feeding her?" Carol asked Lydia suspicously.

Tugging at the ends of her sleeves, Lydia looked at the ground whenever Carol addressed her.

"She already had the formula when she found us."

At the mention of 'us', Samson weaved between them, and kept pace with Tyreese.

The man eyed the dog questionably. "We sure he's safe?"

The blood and dirt covered fur and vest didn't help Samson keep up the appearance of being a friendly-Fido.

Lydia didn't seem bothered by the concerned ask. Cracking a rare smile as they broke the tree-line, she moved up and started petting her furry companion.

"Yeah. Safest one I know."

"Either way, I want him outside for now." Carol said in a no-nonsense tone.

"Yes ma'am." Lydia replied on instinct.

Carol flinched, looking harshly down at the ravenette as they walked through the door. "Don't call me that."

While Lydia seemed taken aback, Tyreese gave a sympathetic look to the older woman, carefully laying Nye down on the couch.

Samson obediently sat outside, looking out into the woods with vigilant eyes.

Judith was once again passed to Tyreese, as Carol kneeled down next to Nye, undoing her bandage with slow and light movements. When it finally came off, Carol sucked in a sharp breath, dearly wishing the brunette was awake, so she could give her a verbal bashing.

"Holy hell." Tyreese breathed, having to look away after a second.

Carol was having a hard time as well, face contorted into a grimace as she looked over Nye's unattended gunshot wound.

Saying it was infected wouldn't even come close to doing it justice. The torn flesh was inflamed, and still open from all of the work Nye had been doing, like fishing and digging the grave. Sadly, both the entry and exit wounds were just as bad as each other, oozing and bleeding slowly. It was bad enough that you could smell the infected skin.

"Carol," Tyreese started slowly, as if addressing a scared animal. "We don't have anything to treat that."

Refusing to shed anymore tears, Carol sniffed, and rounded on Lydia, who was staring wide-eyed at Nye's shoulder.

"How did this happen?"

Lydia didn't peel her gaze away from the wound, shaking her head minutely. "I-I don't... she had it before."

Swallowing, Carol nodded to herself, pacing the room now, as she went through every possible route of treatment they could go. Running a hand down her face, it stopping over her mouth, she took a second to look over Nye's features.

She was flushed, sweat making her face and neck glisten. Her lips were chapped as she took short and shaking breaths through them. Her hair was in utter disarray, ponytail tangled so badly it nearly looked like a braid. But her goggles stayed right where they had been the last time she had seen her.

Despite how her current condition was, Carol felt a wave of relief knowing Nye had beaten the illness back at the prison. Though it may have been a contributor to the issue at hand.

"We have to go on a run. Look for any medical supplies, see what we can find that would help."

Tyreese stared at Carol with regret. "Carol, there isn't anywhere worth searching, not for miles."

Frustrated at the helplessness she felt building in her, Carol hissed through her teeth, "Then what are we supposed to do? Let her die?"

Tyreese, ever the calmest of the group, raised his brows in a quietly offended look. "Of course not. But we can't rush in to anything. We can't risk it."

Carol's shoulders rose as the ire in her grew stronger. Not at Tyreese, but at the situation itself.

Standing at Nye's side, Lydia's lips formed a single word, softer than a whisper.

The adults turned to her. Carol looked tense and agitated as she remembered Lydia's presence. And Tyreese looked tired, but still held an air of everlasting patience.

"What'd you say kid?"

Lydia jumped, finally looking away from her sick guardian. Her gaze was flighty, amber never staying on either adult long. But the concern she felt, outweighed her discomfort with the two relative strangers.

"I s-said," Her voice creaked like an old door, in need of oil. "Maggots."

It took two seconds for understanding to hit them both, and when it did, hope became palpable in the once grim atmosphere.

...

 _Karaoke was something that Nye never thought she would try. Until Paul pulled her up onto a stage._

 _Reality television was something Nye never thought she would like. Until Paul sat her in front of the season premier of The Bachelorette._

 _Harry Potter was something Nye never thought she would give a chance. Until Paul left a copy of the first one on her nightstand._

 _Being open about liking women was something Nye never thought she would be able to do. Until Paul unabashedly pulled her into her first strip-club._

 _There were so many things Nye would have never given a chance, if Paul hadn't been there to pull her into new territory._

 _Like, her favorite movie, for example._

 _"You've never watched Fight Club?!"_

 _Nye shrugged, unbothered by Paul's exclamation. "Nope." She popped a piece of popcorn in her mouth._

 _Paul squawked, looking like he so dearly wanted to scream "blasphemy!" but didn't. He instead only stared at her as if she were insane._

 _Which was fair, she kinda was._

 _"But-but... Brad Pitt!"_

 _Nye's brows knitted together. "Who?"_

 _Paul's face seemed to freeze in an expression of absolute shock, and mild disgust._

 _"Sorry, we are no longer friends." Paul said diplomatically, hands up as he stood from the couch._

 _Nye snickered, grabbing his wrist before he could go anywhere. "Alright alright, calm down drama queen. I'll watch the damn movie."_

 _Paul pretended to think on it, before sitting back down. Taking the remote, he pressed 'play'._

 _"So what is this about, anyway?" Nye quietly asked as the screen went black, the movie about to start. Her legs were tucked up, as she sat indian-style with the popcorn bowl sitting on her lap._

 _Paul gave a secretive smile. "Can't say. That's the first rule."_

 _Mouth full of popcorn, Nye looked to her side, head cocked. "Wha?" She asked dumbly through the popcorn._

 _Paul never answered, as the movie started._

 _And because he had seen it a million times, he could sit back and laugh at Nye's reactions._

 _She gasped nearly every other scene, which was pretty hilarious._

 _"Bruce Banner! You didn't tell me he was in this!"_

 _"Wait, what was that weird thing that flashed for like, a frame?"_

 _"Oh my God it's Bellatrix!"_

 _"Wait there it is again!"_

 _"...What am I watching?"_

 _The rest of the movie played the same, with Nye's ever growing commentary. The bowl of popcorn sat forgotten as she leaned forward, attention solely on the film._

 _As her luck would have it, though, her excited reactions to it were loud enough to rouse two of the apartments occupants._

 _Right as the movie's main sex scene came on, Mason stepped through the doorway, rubbing tiredly at his eyes._

 _"Why are you yelling?" He whined, eyes closed as he yawned._

 _His voice caused both Nye and Paul to shoot up off the couch. While Paul scrambled to back out of the movie, or turn the tv off, Nye ran over to Mason pushing him down the hallway and back into his and Toby's room before he could get a chance of seeing what was playing on the screen._

 _"Wha- Nye what the hell?"_

 _Flipping the light on, she walked him over to his bed. With the room lit up, Nye's cheeks were visibly red._

 _"Bed. No more questions."_

 _Toby sat halfway up in his own bed, watching them in tired confusion. "Is Paul here? I thought I heard him."_

 _Mason let her push him down into bed, but he looked up at her excitedly at the mention of her friend, having not seen him in the dark living-room._

 _"Yes," Nye reluctantly admitted. "You can hang out with him tomorrow. But right now we're watching a grown-up movie."_

 _"But-"_

 _"Listen to you're warden, kids. She's not above corporal punishment." Paul chimed in, leaning into view through the door._

 _"What does that even mean?" Mason grumbled, too tired to do anything more._

 _"It means go to sleep, or I'll kick your asses." Nye said, throwing Mason's blanket back over him, before doing the same to Toby, even though it wasn't really necessary._

 _"Fine." Mason spoke through a yawn, eyes falling half-closed. Him and Toby both gave a lazy wave to Paul._

 _" **Goodnight Uncle Paul.** " The boys mumbled in unison._

 _As the light was flipped back off, and she closed the door behind them, she gave a mock scowl._

 _"What am I? Chopped liver?"_

 _Paul rolled his eyes, putting a hand on her shoulder, and leading her back into the living-room. "They only like me because I'm not their authority figure. You have to discipline them, while I have the pleasure of being friends with them."_

 _Nye's fake scowl fell into a more sincere frown. "I want to be their friend."_

 _At her saddened tone, Paul gave her shoulder a soft rub._

 _"You are. You just have to be their mom, too."_

 _Sitting down on the couch, she nodded. Picking up the abandoned remote off of the floor, she passed it back to Paul._

 _"C'mon, I wanna see what happens next."_

...

Living in a world full of carnage, rarely had its upsides. But in their current case, a rotting carcass was exactly what they needed.

Walkers almost always left something of the animal, or person behind. The bones, being inedible, were abandoned, as was any hard to get meat stuck on them. The rotting corpses of these animals or people, were often claimed by flies and maggots afterwards.

Tyreese and Lydia set out to find a dead animal, not trusting maggots that were from a Walker. The young girl, despite her age, was very adept at finding things like the needed insects. Alpha had beaten countless survival tricks into her, in hopes of keeping her Omega useful.

Neither person spoke a word to each other, mood too grim to attempt conversation. Samson merrily trotted along behind them, blissfully ignorant.

The busy woods proved fruitful fast, as a dead deer laid in the grass ahead of them. There was barely any of it left, as it had already been picked clean. But what was left behind, was enough for flies to stake claim.

As they approached, they could see a wiggling mass of off-white that was sitting in its empty rib-cage.

Tyreese made a disgusted groan, as he and Lydia kneeled down in front of the deer. A bucket was set to the side, as they got to work, picking the maggots off, and dropping them inside.

"So where'd she find you?"

Lydia didn't look up, focus solely on getting enough of the larva. "In a tree."

Tyreese nodded, accepting that she didn't like giving lengthy answers.

The bucket's bottom no longer visible, as maggots blocked the view, they rushed back to the house, fearful of the ramifications if they took too long.

When they got back, running inside, they were disheartened by what met them.

Still on the couch, Nye writhed and whimpered. There was no way to tell if it was from the pain, or a nightmare.

Carol wordlessly took the bucket, then surprisingly turned to Lydia.

"Show me where to put them."

...

 _"Eye-spy, with my little eye, something..."_

 _"I swear to God, if you say 'green' one more time." Mason growled, laying flat on his back in the grass._

 _Nye stuck her tongue out at him while he wasn't looking. Leaning back against a tree, of which there was an abundance of._

 _"Can you blame me? Trees are like the only things around here."_

 _"Rocks." Toby supplied, legs thrown over Mason's as he laid in the grass next to him._

 _"Birds."_

 _"Cars."_

 _"Tents."_

 _"Alright." Nye cut them off, crossing her arms. "Point taken, reluctantly."_

 _"...There's nothing to do." Mason whined, eyes closed as the sun shined over them._

 _"We were just playing eye-spy."_

 _"There's nothing_ fun _to do." He corrected._

 _Nye rolled her eyes, easy-going smile on her face, until she caught something out of the corner of her eye._

 _Two of the groups members, that she was pretty sure both went by "Dixon", were walking out of the woods surrounding the query. A sizable bounty of animals strung over their shoulders._

 _With a smile, she stood. Giving her boys a calming look as they shot up to follow her, she raised a hand._

 _"Stay here. I'll be right back."_

 _The walk over to them was uneventful, as she went over what to say in her head. A simple 'thank you' seemed in order, as the two had brought in some hunted prey the night before as well._

 _But as she found herself stopping next to their camp, she ended up going beyond just a 'thank you'._

 _"Wow, that's impressive." She said, respect for the men's skill brimming in her voice. A wide and crooked smile sitting under a few freckles._

 _And in the future, all three adults would look back on that moment, and regret not doing things different._

 _Like dominos, after her compliment things started to tumble. First, the older of the two, used one the most sexist and vulger ways to flirt that she had ever seen, which was saying something. Then, the younger one looked down at the ground, looking almost sheepish to be standing next to the other man._

 _Smile long gone, replaced by a sort of deadpan expression, Nye spun on her heel, raising a single choice finger in the air as she walked away._

 _Mason and Toby watched her in faint concern, as she sat back down next to them._

 _"What happened?"_

 _After a second of debate, Nye reached over and lightly pinched their cheeks._

 _"Repeat after me, 'I will respect women', say it."_

 _Both boys wrestled with her arms, trying to get her to release their cheeks._

 _"Wha?! Why?" Mason slurred as he struggled._

 _"Say it!"_

 _" **I 'ill respec' women!** " They said, words garbled and stringing together as they rushed to get it out._

 _When she released them, Mason and Toby rubbed their cheeks, pouting._

 _Standing, Mason coiled his body in preparation to run._

 _"Bitch."_

 _Dirt getting kicked up, as Mason turned tail and ran, Nye shot up, darting right after him._

 _"I don't care if it's the apocalypse! I'll still ground you, you little shit!"_

 _Toby sat back, occupying himself by watching a random ladybug that landed on his left hand._

 _Back in their camp, Daryl watched the short brunette chase after one of the two kids she was always with. Despite the threats she was shouting after the curly haired kid, a wide smile was split across her face, more tender than the one she gave him and Merle._

 _"You're ass is grass Ace!" He heard her shout from the other side of camp. But there was undeniable amusement sitting beneath the fained anger._

 _When he first saw her, and how she treated the kids, he had scoffed to himself. She just seemed like another soccer-mom, trying to ignore the chaos around them, and treat things like the world would just fix itself. But then, he had seen how she really was. In between the crooked smiles, and jokes, she always made sure the two boys had weapons on them. And instead of making them do homework, like Carl and Sophia had to, she taught them how to start a fire, how to fish, and countless other survival techniques._

 _Not to mention, he saw how she was the only one smart enough to raid a library, and grab any and all books on survival, and plants that were edible in Georgia._

 _Needless to say, he found himself respecting her, despite never actually trading a single word._

...

It was getting dark, sun setting on a traumatic day, and fading into a night that held promise to be just as bad.

The maggots were doing their job wonderfully, eating the dead and infected skin. But Nye still didn't show much sign of getting better.

After a few hours, she had been rolled over, so the maggots could start working on the exit wound. Even with slow and careful hands, she still moaned in pain when being turned over.

Samson was finally let inside, so long as he stayed clear of where Judith was resting.

Lydia sat on the floor beside the couch, watching over the brunette with keen eyes. Her hand was held over Nye's, fingers pressed against her pulse point.

Carol and Tyreese had stepped out to talk. Going off of Carol's grim and remorseful face, Lydia felt apprehension build further in regards to the woman.

And listening with half an ear, to the adults' conversation, she found herself in good reason to be wary.

"I killed Karen and David."

Lydia sucked in a breath through her teeth, hand tightening over Nye's. The brunette laid, unmoving and unbothered by the events unfolding right outside.

"I had to stop the illness from breaking out. I had to stop other people from dying." Carol defended halfheartedly, as Tyreese stayed silent. "It wasn't Lizzie. It wasn't a stranger. Tyreese, it was me."

Lydia wasn't sure who Lizzie, Karen, or David were, but it was a safe guess to assume they were all from Nye's prison group too.

There was a moment of silence, and then a faint sound of something metal being handed over.

"You do what you have to do." Carol's voice trembled. It wasn't in fear, but rather guilt.

Lydia waited, not knowing what to expect next. Her first assumption was a gunshot, but it was just Tyreese's voice instead.

"Did she know what was happening?" He whispered, low, and course like sandpaper. "Was she scared? ...It was quick?"

"Yes."

Samson gave a quiet whine, hastily being hushed by the ravenette.

"Do what you have to do." Carol said again, sturdier this time.

Lydia held her breath, biting harshly into her lip.

"...I forgive you."

Lydia blinked, thrown off by the sudden change in Tyreese's tone. She was sure Carol was flabbergasted as well.

"I'm never gonna forget. It happened. You did it. You feel it. I know you do. It's a part of you now. Me, too... But I forgive you."

Lydia let go of the air she was holding, feeling herself sag against the couch.

Then, as she laid unconscious, softer than a whisper, Nye sighed a name.

"Daryl..."

Lydia frowned, squeezing her hand hard enough that her knuckles popped. More concern for the brunette filled her, than concern for her lost group. And if that didn't show how much Nye had already made an impact, than she didn't know what would.

Sitting straighter, she hovered over Nye protectively. "I'll help you find Daryl. Mason and Toby too, you just have to wake up." She bartered quietly, feeling desperate.

And after saying the names herself, something suddenly became clear.

Pulling out the black pistol she borrowed from Nye, she turned it over, looking at the bottom of the handle, where three initials were scratched into the metal.

 _M, T, D._

The D looked newer than the first two, but it still appeared to have been carved there a while ago. If Lydia were to make a guess, she would say that this 'Daryl' person, must be Nye's partner. And maybe even the father of her sons.

Putting the gun back in the woman's holster, Lydia gave it a soft pat, almost like a promise.

"I'll help you find them." She swore, stronger and more sure than the last one.

It was like Nye said, her group wasn't a pack of wolves. So that meant they went back for each other, not giving up hope on finding one another. So Lydia would try that mind-set, and steel herself to help in the search for her group.

Carol and Tyreese stepped back inside, not saying a word as they sat on different sides of the living-room, though they both watched Nye with equal amounts of worry.

...

Hazy nightmares faded into dreams. Those dreams slowly fading into nothingness. After that, she was left with her senses coming back to her, trickling in through the fog.

She sniffled, brows scrunching together as she frowned in discomfort. Testing all her fingers and toes, she gathered that she could feel them again, which was a major relief. Her skin though, felt overly sensitive. The once soft and nice fitting hoodie she wore, now felt itchy and stiffling.

While she seemed unconscious on the couch, Lydia hadn't moved from her spot all night. Her chin resting on the cushions as her eyes blinked blankly, bogged down from tiredness.

As uncomfortable the two felt with each other, Nye and Judith were their priority, so Carol and Tyreese worked through the awkwardness between them, so they could care for Nye and the baby.

"I don't get how she does it." Carol murmured mostly to herself, as she cradled Judith in her arms.

Posture tense, as he reserved himself to be normal with the woman, after promising to forgive her, Tyreese leaned against the counter, rewrapping his bandaged arm. "Get what?"

Carol's eyes never left the couch, where she watched Lydia start to nod off, head drooping, only to snap back up as she forced herself to stay awake.

"We don't even know her name. And somehow Nye already has that girl wrapped around her finger." Carol shook her head ruefully, eyes turning slightly bitter. "She was always good with... kids."

How badly her lips wanted to form the three names, of the three girls she lost.

Tyreese turned and looked Lydia over in contemplation. "I bet it's because, well, Nye treats them as equals. Friends. Not someone she needs to shelter."

Carol bobbed her head, humming in agreement.

Tyreese ducked his head, bracing his hands behind him on the counter as he reflected on the previous day's events.

"How... how are we going to tell her?" He asked in a hush.

Carol whirled back around on Tyreese, holding Judith tighter. "We don't."

"Caro-"

"We say _nothing_." She asserted, skittishness around him momentarily gone. "She can't know. Mason and Toby aren't here, so we don't know what happened to them. She doesn't need anymore loss piled onto her."

"You're right, we don't know about Mason and Toby. But we know about _them_. She deserves to know."

Carol shook her head, lips drawn tightly into a deep frown. "Rapunzel, and Aurora. She gave them those nicknames, Tyreese. Those girls meant something to her." She sighed unsteadily. "She _can't know_ how they..." Her eyes became distant. "...how they were killed."

Tyreese looked not too swayed, but dropped it.

Judith began whining, knotting Carol's shirt in her tiny hands.

"Girl." Carol called, grabbing Lydia's attention. "Where's the formula you mentioned?"

"Brown bag. Middle pocket."

Everyone, minus Judith and the brunette on the couch, jumped in shock, as it wasn't Lydia who spoke.

"Nye." Carol sighed through a laugh.

Her eyes cracked open a fraction, the spheres of emerald green leisurely landing on the two other adults.

Fogginess in her mind fading completely, a hesitant smile graced her lips, as her eyes began to water.

"Hey guys." She croaked, smile turning ironclad.

Lydia took a step back, as Carol and Tyreese rushed to her side, bombarding her with relentless questions as they checked her wound. Judith was hurriedly placed with a bottle by Tyreese, as Carol helped Nye sit up.

All while Carol and Tyreese fussed over her, Nye simply grinned the brightest smile Lydia had ever seen, tears rolling uncaringly down her cheeks, washing away lines of Walker blood.

"What happened?" Carol asked, hands hovering worriedly over her hunched body.

Nye's grin turned into something more sheepish. "I got shot. Probably traumatized Beth too."

"You saw Beth?" Tyreese stepped closer, Judith held closely to his chest.

Nye nodded, grin dimming. "Yeah, but we got separated. And I take it it's just you two?"

Tyreese hesitated, eyes flickering to Carol, as the woman sat up straighter.

"Yes. We haven't ran into anyone else, before you two."

It technically wasn't a lie.

Nye smiled again, though obviously disappointed that her boys weren't there. "Don't forget Lydia. Samson too, if he counts."

The ravenette looked up from the floor, watching as Nye turned to her with a genuinely thankful look.

"She found you guys, didn't she? I was out cold, so she had to have, right?"

Carol nodded slowly, before giving the brunette a sturdy one. "She did."

Nye grinned, once again looking over at the girl, this time a proud expression on her face.

"You did good Pup. Couldn't have done better myself." To finish it off, Nye raised her uninjured right arm, disregarding how they were both covered in rotting blood, and reached out to the girl.

Lydia watched her, uncomprehendingly, until Nye's face softened, as she beckoned her over.

"C'mon Lyd, when was the last time you got a hug?"

Lydia took a mighty inhale of breath, eyes wide and posture like a scared animal.

Seeing this, Nye's arm started to lower, her expression turning guilty.

"Not there yet, got it. Sorry, I just-"

Nye coughed, shoulder throbbing, as Lydia threw herself at her. Her body was shaking, and she was as tense as one could be. She was clearly fearful that Nye would throw her off, any second.

But of course, the goggle wearing brunette smiled, wrapping her arms securely around the shaking girl.

"This is okay. I promise you, Lydia, _this is okay_."

Lydia huffed something that sounded like a smothered sob, bony frame relaxing ever so slightly as Nye gently rocked them back and forth.

All that mattered, was that Nye was alive. She was awake. And she proved, once more, that she was genuine, and caring. She proved that she was what a real mother should be.

Carol stood back, rubbing the bridge of her nose to temporarily hide her face.

Tyreese was right in his earlier guess. But he was also missing an entirely different reason.

Kids flocked to Nye, because she relied just as much on them, as they did to her.

And that begged a concerning question.

If Nye hadn't been with Judith, or Lydia, what would have happened to her?

Carol could see it, a version of reality were Nye was all alone, with no one to fall back on. And with all likelihood, the brunette probably would have succumbed to her wound, ignoring the state it put her in, and left to die from it. No one there to help her, like Lydia did.

Thinking about it left a bad taste on the back of her tongue. So instead, she watched as Nye held the young girl covered in blood.

Gore painted the scene, but Nye's smile was serene, eyes closed as she focused on comforting Lydia, and being comforted in return. Somehow, despite their state of appearance, they made the embrace look heart-warmingly tender, and sweet. Innocent, even.

Yes, Carol knew for sure,

Nye couldn't know about Lizzie and Mika.


	37. She was smiling

The tension between Carol and Tyreese was painfully obvious, but Nye didn't mention it. Choosing instead to hope that they could work things out between themselves.

And even though she was still regaining her strength, Carol made it clear to the brunette that they were leaving before nightfall.

Something bad had happened at the house, and Nye was hesitant to figure out what.

Lydia didn't say a word about it, clinging to Nye's side like glue, all while giving distrustful looks at Carol.

The brunette was only made more confused, when the girl randomly asked, "Who are Karen and David?"

Nye's throat made a sound similar to rubber against metal, as Lydia looked at her questioningly.

"Uh, they, um..." She shook her head, leaning further back into the couch, as they were sorting what supplies they could leave behind. "How do you know about them?"

Lydia closed her mouth firmly, looking edgily over to where Carol was in the kitchen, thankfully out of earshot.

"She... They were talking about them, last night."

Nye sighed, gazing out the window, where Tyreese sat on the porch, looking thoughtful. "Yeah. I'm not surprised. Poor guy, Karen was the love of his life. He was probably having nightmares or something."

Lydia jolted, a disbelieving look on her face, as she stared back over at Carol.

If Karen was his partner, and Carol killed Karen, than Tyreese should have killed Carol. Right?

Nye cluelessly continued emptying their bags, humming some obscure song to herself. Lydia watched her, finding that things kept getting more and more complicated, once you add sentiment into the mix.

Oh how disappointed Alpha would be in her, if she saw Lydia trying to match Nye's relaxed posture, and carefree smile.

...

"Terminus, huh?"

Tyreese nodded, hiking his bag further up his shoulder. "We saw a sign for it. We think the others went there."

Nye looked ahead, feet dragging only a little as they all walked down the train-tracks. She'd had an uneasy feeling in her gut, ever since she spotted the two fresh graves behind the house, as they were leaving.

"That's where Mason and Toby would go, if they saw it."

Lydia walked at her side, one hand on Samson's vest, and the other surprisingly in Nye's. "Daryl too?"

Carol who held Judith, and Tyreese glanced back, small and smug smiles being fought down by both of them.

Nye sputtered, taken off guard by the sudden mention of her redneck. "H-how do you know about Daryl?"

Lydia shrugged. "You were saying his name in your sleep." She said casually.

Face flushing a deep ruby red, Nye opened and closed her mouth robotically, seeming to have short-circuited.

Carol smiled up front, shaking her head at the brunette.

"Terminus!" Nye shouted hastily, changing the subject as she looked straight ahead, not meeting anyone in the eye. "How far is it?"

"Not too far. We'll probably reach it by tomorrow. If we keep walking." Carol answered.

The prospect of simply walking, after only now starting her recovery, made Nye have to bite back a whine. It didn't help that she was _sure_ that Carol was going to give her a lecture on her self-care, any minute. The woman was probably just waiting for a moment alone with the brunette.

"Let's play a road-game, then." She proposed, a wicked smile on her face, for soon to be obvious reasons.

Carol glanced back, giving Nye a warning look. "Don't-"

"I spy with my little-"

"A tree."

Nye gaped at Carol, affronted. "How do you know I-"

"It's _always_ a tree, Nye."

"You're wrong. I chose a rock one time."

Lydia looked back and forth between the women, watching it like a tennis match.

"Keep this up, and Judith's first words will be "I spy"."

Nye gasped theatrically, looking all too delighted at the notion. "Could you imagine! I would hold that over Rick's head until the day I die."

The ravenette looked to the ground moving at her feet, absently counting the planks of wood used to make the train-tracks. The normal volume the three adults had been using, was a stark contrast to how her previous group spoke. No longer were there breathy whispers, rasped between the Dead. Now there was just, talking. Mundane, and somewhat cheery even.

And Lydia was finding, that she liked it. A lot.

...

As Rick, Michonne, Carl, and Toby walked the road, they caught a thankful break.

A rundown, and dilapidated car sat parked to the side. Most of its doors were open, and it looked picked clean. But it was shelter.

A fire was started, of which they used to cook the rabbit they trapped and killed earlier. It was small, but it fed the four of them well enough. And by the time it was gone, it was dark. The fire their only light-source.

"You two, get some sleep. We'll be on first watch."

Carl hesitated, knowing his father wouldn't wake him and Toby up to switch out, and get any sleep. But exhaustion pulled at him, dragging him obediently into the car, after Toby.

He took the passenger seat, and Toby dove into the driver's side, falling asleep within seconds of getting seated.

Carl watched his father, and Michonne through the windshield, yawning as he tried to shrink into his jacket for more warmth.

While his eyelids started becoming heavy, he missed the shadows creeping in, on all sides.

He eyes closed, only for a few seconds. But that was all it took.

"Oh, dearie me."

Carl shot up, a chill going through him, that had nothing to do with the cold.

"You screwed up, asshole." He heard a man's muffled voice, outside the car, as he held a gun to Rick's temple. Another guy had his aimed at Michonne, kicking her sword away for good measure.

"You hear me? You screwed up."

Reaching blindly to his left, eyes on the two members of his family that were outside, Carl slapped Toby's shoulder. The freckled teen was a light sleeper, so he was up and alert by the second slap.

"Today is a day of reckoning, sir. Restitution. A balancing of the whole damn universe."

Toby swallowed his confusion at being awoken so suddenly, leaning forward in his seat as he and Carl watched, eyes wide and full of fear, as the new group of men gloated, while they held them at gunpoint.

A hand slammed on the passenger side window. A large man grinned at them, looking them up and down through the glass, with a sickening smile.

Toby pulled Carl closer. Eyes never leaving the deranged ones outside.

"Shit, and I was thinking of turning in for the night on New Year's Eve." The man standing over Rick said, jovial and eager to shed blood. "Now who's gonna count down the ball dropper with me, huh? Ten Mississippi! Nine Mississippi! Eight Mississippi!"

"Joe! Hold up!"

Toby's mouth went dry, as he shot his head to the left, looking out his window. A figure slowly, cautiously, walked by. Even in the shadows, Toby knew who it was.

"Daryl."

While it was likely impossible for the hunter to have heard Toby gasp his name, Daryl's eyes swept to his right, locking with Toby's.

A range of battling emotions shined through the hunter's gaze, concern and guilt were two of the most notable. But the strongest, was monumental relief, knowing that Toby was still alive, and that he found him.

But now, because of Daryl, they were all in trouble. He put _Smalls_ in trouble.

"You're stopping me on eight, Daryl." Joe said, unamused.

"Just hold up." Daryl spoke breathlessly, watching the tense Rick and Michonne. Both of whom looked back at him in confusion.

It somehow hurt more, that there was no accusation in the way they were looking at him.

"This is the guy that killed Lou, so we got nothing to talk about." One of the men barked, glaring heatedly at Daryl.

Joe waved a hand carelessly at the man. "The thing about nowadays is we got nothing but time." He nodded to the redneck. "Say your piece, Daryl."

Daryl took a deep breath, stepping forward a few inches as he looked imploringly at Joe. "These people, you're gonna let 'em go." There was an underline desperation in his voice, one that everyone could easily pick up on. "These are good people."

The windshield in front of Toby fogged, as his breath hitched in concern.

Joe shook his head minutely. "Now, I think Lou would disagree with you on that." He said with a mirthless smile. "I'll, of course, have to speak for him and all 'cause your friend here shanked him in a bathroom."

The freckled teen winced, imaginary blood warming his hands, as he looked back on thrusting his knife into that man's chest. And now Rick was taking the fall.

Daryl's breathing got a tiny bit faster, as he could feel the situation slipping from his control. Though it was never really _in_ his control in the first place. "You want blood, I get it." He dropped his crossbow and raised his arms at his sides, away from his weapons, as he surrendered himself. "Take it from me, man. C'mon."

Joe pursed his lips, not making a single move to take Daryl up on his offer. "This man killed our friend. You say he's good people? See, now that right there, i-is a lie."

With that one word, Daryl's arms dropped, chest rising harder as he was out of solutions.

"It's a lie!"

Several of the men swept in, charging at Daryl. The first to hit, rammed his shotgun butt into Daryl's stomach, causing the hunter to hunch over, coughing as the others joined in.

"Daryl!" Toby called, reaching to open the driver side door.

"Teach him, fellas! Teach him all the way." Joe called over the sound of pained grunts and flesh hitting flesh.

As Toby's hand closed around the door-handle, Carl's swung open. The large leering man reached in, pulling Carl out as the sheriff's son tried to fight him off.

"You leave him be!" Rick roared, attempting to stand, only to be forced back down.

Right after the large man moved away from the door, another took his place, grabbing onto Toby.

This one was grinning too, but not in the same way as the one holding onto Carl. Toby wrestled him futilely, as the man pulled him into a choke-hold.

Michonne watched the two boys, panicked. For a moment she moved on autopilot, reaching for her sword. But the man over her kicked her back.

"You'll get yours."

"Listen, it was me. It was just me." Rick said gravely, Carl's fearful cries making his blood sizzle under his skin.

"See, now that's right." Joe cheered. "That's not some damn lie. Look, we can settle this. We're reasonable men."

What he said next, though, contradicted that.

"First, we're gonna beat Daryl to death."

Toby wrestled harder, biting back a scream as Daryl was thrown against the car, the men not once letting up.

"Then we'll have the girl. Then the _boys_."

Something that sounded animalistic came from somewhere deep in Daryl's throat, as he tried harder to get through the ring of men, and towards his family.

"Then I'm gonna shoot you and then we'll be square." Joe said cheerily.

"Let them go." Rick whispered dangerously.

"Stop your squirming." The large man held Carl to the ground, cackling sadistically as he reached down for his belt.

"Let him go." Rick spoke again, with hellfire and brimstone lacing his words.

The men continued to beat Daryl. The men continued to hold them at gunpoint. The men continued to laugh, as Carl writhed under the bearded man on top of him.

The men continued to not understand who they had targeted.

Rick's head snapped back, breaking Joe's nose. His gun went off, inches from Rick's face, but the former sheriff's deputy did little more than give a shake of his head.

Rick got up, spinning around and hitting Joe's face, knocking him back.

The ringing in his ears, threw Rick off, and as a result, Joe was able to down him with one hit in return.

"I got him." He laughed it off, standing over Rick as he laid on his side. "Oh, it's gonna be _so_ much worse now." He kicked Rick in his middle.

Toby clawed at the arms around his neck, nails catching on the bandage wrapped around the man's right forearm.

He hissed, tightening his hold, cutting most oxygen off from Toby.

As his vision started fading out, sound became dulled, and less coherent.

There was another gunshot, followed by a slap, and Michonne grunting. Daryl was still getting whaled on, going off of his own pained grunts and groans. All the while the group of men were still cackling.

"What the hell are you gonna do now, sport?" Joe asked rhetorically, a smirk clear in his voice.

A second later, there was a cut off shout, then gurgling.

Toby pried his eyes open, not remembering closing them, and looked on as Joe fell to the ground, holding his neck, where Rick had just bitten a chunk of skin off.

In an unspoken plan, Michonne used Rick's distraction, taking the wrist of the man above her, and aiming it up at his chin. Using his own gun to shoot, and kill him. Like a well oiled machine, Michonne turned and shot two of Daryl's opponents, leaving the redneck to easily dispatch the last two.

The bearded man on Carl slowly got up, quaking in fear. Seeing the blood covered face that looked on at him in quiet rage, he pulled Carl up with a knife to his neck as a hostage.

"I-I'll kill him!"

The man holding Toby backed up a few paces, as Rick, Michonne, and Daryl now all stood before them, clearly with no intent to show mercy.

"I'll-I'll kill him!"

"Let the boys go!" Michonne growled at the last remaining members of the twisted group, gun trained on the man holding Carl.

"He's mine." Rick breathed, almost appearing calm, if not for the blood dripping down his front.

"Stay back." He quivered, backing away from Carl finally, who ran into the waiting arms of Michonne.

He raised his hands, dropping the knife. "Stay b-ba- Please-"

Rick plunged his knife deeply into the man's stomach, methodically ripping it upwards, all the way to his coller-bone as he choked on his blood. The whole time, Rick held his face, making sure the monster looked him in the eye, through the entire process.

The one holding Toby watched, swallowing thickly as he realized his chances of leaving alive were slim.

Opening his mouth, he prepared to try and make some type of deal, but as the first syllable left him, a crossbow bolt pierced his face. Entering through his cheekbone, of all places.

His arms slackened, and Toby darted out of them, running straight past Rick, who was repeatedly stabbing the corpse of the man who terrorized Carl.

Daryl's aim was the best, so the odds of him missing, and hitting the man's cheek, were not likely. So that meant, he chose _that_ spot. Because if he shot for the eye, the man would have died instantly.

This way, it was slower. The man got to suffer. And that was exactly what Daryl wanted.

The crossbow lowered, and Toby launched himself into the comfort of the redneck's hold.

Daryl clung onto the teen, allowing himself a moment to breathe. Even though Toby was trembling, and Mason was nowhere to be seen, he relaxed, gently rocking them both back and forth, hand on top of Toby's head, to keep his bucket-hat on.

"I got you, Smalls. You're okay."

Toby buried his face into Daryl's shoulder, sniffling noisily.

Daryl closed his eyes, head dropping down onto Toby's. The weight of the kid in his arm brought bone-aching comfort.

" _I got you_."

...

"It's clear."

Nye and Lydia walked into the abandoned house behind Carol and Tyreese. Samson ran in ahead of them, tail wagging erratically.

Carol stowed her gun away, taking Judith from the exhausted brunette.

Nye huffed, dropping herself down on a musty chair, fighting off a sneeze as the force of her fall kicked up a cloud of dust.

There was a bad feeling in her gut, putting her on edge.

"We'll stay here for the night." Carol delegated.

Nye hummed in contented agreement, sinking further into the plush chair. Setting her bags and weapons on the floor, she opened her arms and gestured for Lydia to come closer.

"C'mon Pup, you need sleep."

Lydia set down her own gear, and moved to lay on the floor. But Nye shook her head, with a faint smile.

"Sweetheart, we can share the chair."

After thinking on it, only for a few seconds, Lydia nodded meekly, climbing up onto Nye's lap.

The two got comfortable, curling up on each other. Lydia, being somewhere between six or eight, was able to easily fit on top of Nye with her small size.

The brunette watched as her amber eyes drooped, and slowly glazed over, as Lydia started falling asleep.

"You're good with her."

Nye looked to the other side of the room, head cocked questioningly at Tyreese. "How so?"

The broad man was sitting on the floor, leaning on the wall as he held Judith. Carol was outside on watch with Samson.

"She wouldn't tell us her name. Barely even talked to us, until you came too."

Reaching up and pulling her ponytail free, Nye closed her eyes as she tiredly massaged her scalp. Her other hand gently rubbed circles into Lydia's back.

"I'm the first person she's seen in awhile. It stands to reason, that she would get attached from me, being the only source of care and affection she's had."

Tyreese shook his head. "Nah, I think it has more to do than that."

Too tired to try and argue her point of view, Nye shrugged, deciding to get some rest.

But something plagued her in the back of her mind. A question she needed the answer to.

"What was in those graves?"

When Tyreese didn't answer, Nye cracked her eyes open, lips turned down grimly.

"They were new. Brand new. So, who was it?"

Sighing, Tyreese turned his head away, refusing to look at her. "I... You don't want to know."

Grinding her teeth, Nye glared. "My kids are missing, Tyreese. _At least_ tell me it wasn't..." She paused, breathing unsteady. "...Just tell me who it was."

Blinking a few times, Tyreese stared at the hardwood floor, arms slowly stopping their rhythmic rocking. Judith suckled on her thumb, blissfully unaware.

"Carol doesn't want you to know."

"Tyreese." She barked lowly, nerves eating her alive. "If it's someone I know, I damn well deserve a fucking answer."

Moving his hand up to tiredly rub the heel of his palm into his eye, Tyreese bobbed his head in defeat.

"You're right, you're right." With a deep breath, he finally looked back up at her. "It... it was Lizzie and Mika."

A spear of nausea pierced her stomach, burning bile rising up higher, stopping right at her throat. Nye's head dipped downwards, eyes closed tight in frustration and mourning.

Tyreese watched her reaction carefully. "Carol didn't think we should burden you with-"

"Was it quick?"

Again, Tyreese didn't answer right away. Instead he reflected on the girls' past behavior, mainly Lizzie's. He could spin some lie about how the girls' deaths were painless, and over fast. But Nye didn't deserve to be kept from the truth. Not when she spent so much time with the two children.

"You remember... Do you remember back at the prison, how we started finding rats at the fence, like someone was feeding those things?"

Nye raised her head, eyebrows coming down as she nodded in confusion. "Yeah. What's that got to do with anything?"

"Everything." Tyreese said in a rough whisper. "It was Lizzie. She had it in her head, that the Walkers were just misunderstood. That they were like us."

Nye started shaking her head in denial, but had to face the mounting evidence that something had been wrong with Lizzie, for a long time. Nye had seen how she named them. How she sometimes cried when she watched people clearing the fence. How she had led the reanimated Henry away from Glenn, with a bright smile on her face.

Subconsciously tightening her arms around Lydia, Nye frowned apprehensively. "Why are you telling me this, Ty?"

He pursed his lips, knowing there was no delicate way to explain what happened.

"Lizzie got... worse. She would try to stop us from killing Walkers. And when Carol _did_ kill one, Lizzie just... screamed at her, saying the Walker was her friend, and that it was just as bad as... if she killed Carol."

Nye winced, tapping her heel repeatedly as an outlet for her unease.

"Then what?"

Tyreese sighed again, exhausted in a different way than just simple tiredness.

"Lizzie wanted to prove that Walkers could be our friends. She wanted to show us, that after someone turned, we didn't have to kill them."

"...W-what did she do? Tyreese?"

He shook his head, looking up to the ceiling.

"She, uh..." He wavered. "...She killed Mika."

A hush filled the house, broken only by the even breathing of Lydia and Judith. Tyreese watched, as Nye stopped moving completely. Her chest stationary as she wasn't even breathing anymore.

The only thing keeping Nye from losing what meager amount of food that was in her stomach, was Lydia on her lap.

"After that, she pulled a gun on Carol, so she wouldn't "kill" Mika. She-" He stopped, still looking to be in disbelief. "She was smiling, Nye. She was covered in her sister's blood, and she was _smiling_."

Nye slapped the back of her wrist to her mouth, a low whine coming from her throat, as she swallowed back down acidic vomit.

"After that, we couldn't bring her with us to Terminus. So Carol suggested to go off alone with her, to keep her away from people. But, we both knew that, so long as she could, Lizzie was only going to get worse."

If she wasn't fighting tooth-and-nail to not puke all over Lydia, Nye would have begged him to stop.

"So Carol decided to... She though it would be safest if she..."

Nye shook her head harshly, knocking her goggles askew. She knew what he was about to say. She just _knew_. And she didn't, for the life of her, want to hear it spoken aloud.

"...Carol took her out into the field. And, she..."

"Ty." Nye squeaked through her hand, eyes shut so tight, it was starting to hurt.

But he didn't stop. He said exactly what she was dreading.

"It was quick. Lizzie didn't even know what was happening... It was quick. Carol made sure they didn't suffer."

In her horror-stricken state, Nye didn't even catch how Tyreese had said "they", instead of "she".

The only thing to bring her out of it, was Lydia shifting in her sleep, resting her head right under Nye's as the young girl sighed in contentment.

And as Nye started combing her fingers through the raven hair, she became extremely thankful, that her boys weren't with Carol and Tyreese.

She could wait to find them just a little longer, just as long as they were safe with others. And that those others, understood what made something a monster.

Ducking her head, Nye gave a kiss to the crown of Lydia's, closing her eyes softly this time.

On the bright side, once they got to Terminus, they hopefully wouldn't have to worry about the undead monsters any longer.

Nye comforted herself with that thought, finding the physical exhaustion enough to beat out her distress, as she started succumbing to sleep.

They would all come to find out, that once again, human monsters were far more dangerous than the dead ones.

* * *

 **I'm so excited to start up season five. It is by far one of my favorite seasons. And reaching it means we're one step closer to a huge milestone.**

 **Let's just say, I haven't been giving you guys more insight on Paul for no reason, heh heh heh.**

 **(The next chapter beats Sunshine in length. Reaching 12k words, whoop)**


	38. Found

_Mason pouted, legs kicking back and forth while he sat in a chair too big for him. In his lap he was wringing Manny in his hands, the old crochet blanket was used to boy's nervous tick._

 _He was in a mall, in a part he was unfamiliar with. He had ran off while Nye wasn't looking, and now he severely regretted it. Not knowing what else to do, he just sat down on the nearest bench sitting outside a random store._

 _Panic started to set in, the longer he sat there._

 _The nine year old sniffled, hastily rubbing snot from his nose as he started to cry._

 _"Mason!"_

 _With a soundless gasp, Mason jumped from the chair, running towards the short brunette he knew called for him._

 _Nye looked frazzled, as she dropped to her knees and hugged him. Hand petting down some of his unreasonable curls. Mason could feel her relax, as she held him._

 _"I was so worried." She panted, leaning back and checking him over._

 _Mason's grip on Manny lightened, as he hummed in confusion. "How'd you know where I was?"_

 _Nye blinked up at him, now looking confused herself. "I... I'm not sure. This just felt like the best place to look."_

 _"Do you have, like, Spider-sense, or something?"_

 _Nye laughed, taking his hand, and standing. "No, I don't think that's it."_

 _Mason shrugged, keeping her hand tightly in his own. "It's still kinda like a superpower."_

 _Nye laughed again, rolling her eyes good-naturedly. "Yeah, I'll call myself 'Super GPS'. My power is I'm able to locate my naughty kids, who just so happened to get separated from me." She said leadingly._

 _Mason looked to the floor sheepishly. "Least you found me?"_

 _Nye scoffed, ruffling his hair back into its birdnest. "Of course. You can run, but you can't hide, Ace."_

 _And while it was a joke, Mason still found the sentiment comforting._

...

Terminus was a lie. A wolf in sheep's clothing.

It was everything they said it wasn't.

Bullets littered the ground behind them, herding them all towards an unknown location.

The whole time they ran, dread kept up building in Toby. Because these people had some of theirs, they just didn't know who. And that left the very possible chance that Nye and Mason were in Terminus somewhere, potentially in as much danger.

Train cars surrounded them, some of them had people inside, screaming to be let out.

Once they were finally cornered, Gareth stepped over to the edge of the closest roof. Staring down at them as if they were as insignificant as ants.

Daryl pulled Toby behind him.

"Drop your weapons! Now!"

Everyone hesitated for obvious reasons, sharing looks as they couldn't think of any solutions.

"Now!"

Rick was the first to let go of his, followed by the rest taking his example. Michonne unsheathing her sword and dropping the blade. Daryl's crossbow bounced slightly as his grip on it went limp. Toby carefully took the machine-gun strap from his shoulder, settting it down. And Carl, after scowling heavily, dropped his own pistol. What little amount of knives they had on them, clattered to the ground beside the others.

"Ringleader, go to your left." Gareth ordered, seeming to view the current situation as something to be bored by. "The train car, go."

Rick panted, glaring furiously up at the leader of Terminus.

Gareth rolled his eyes. "You do what we say, the boy goes with you. Anything else, he dies, and you end up in there anyway."

Biting his tongue, Rick gave a barely there reassuring nod to Carl, walking over to the large red train car.

"Now the archer."

Daryl didn't wait as long as Rick had, but he did shoot a look to Toby. Silently telling him everything would be okay. Even if the redneck wasn't sure about it himself.

"Now the samurai."

The stare Michonne shot at Gareth was venomous, as she marched after Daryl. Not hesitating, for fear of the kids' safety.

"Stand at the door, ringleader, archer, samurai, in that order."

As they lined up, Rick looked back over to where Carl and Toby stood.

"Our boys!" Rick demanded. Daryl chewed on his bottom lip, fidgeting tensely.

Gareth rolled his eyes again, nodding towards the train car in an uncaring manner. "Go, kid 1, and kid 2."

As the boys approached, Gareth focused back on Rick.

"Ringleader, open the door and go in."

"I'll go in with my son!"

"Don't make us kill him now!" Gareth shouted back in exasperation.

Rick's face twitched, fighting down a viscous snarl. Stepping up short wooden stairs, Rick unlatched the metal door, stepping inside the unlit cage.

Daryl followed, then Michonne. Only then were the two boys let in.

Toby moved to go in first, but Carl stopped him, going up and into the train car before him. The sheriff's son kept a hand knotted in Toby's shirt sleeve the whole time, for his own comfort, or Toby's, the freckled teen didn't know.

Once they were inside, the door shut behind them, casting the metal cage in darkness, illuminated only by thin cracks of light shining through gaps in the ceiling.

Rick immediately embraced Carl, holding him protectively. Behind the father and son, Toby ducked into Daryl's hold, hands shaking as they gripped the hunter's vest.

There was a dull metallic thud on the other side of the car. Indistinguishable shapes moved in the darker side, putting everyone on guard.

But they had no reason to worry.

A shadow split off from the rest, coming closer, and becoming clearer with every step. A strip of light slid over him, revealing a hopeful expression on a familiar face.

"Rick?" Glenn breathed, hoping beyond hope.

Slowly, one by one, more people stepped up beside Glenn. Maggie taking the spot on his left, Sasha on his right, while Bob hung over Maggie's shoulder, grinning from ear to ear.

"You're here." Rick spoke in a hush, a fraction of the tension in him slipping away.

Glenn managed to crack a smile, nodding assuringly to their leader.

Sneakers squeaked, as a shorter body split from the newer ones in the far back. It slowly inched between, and finally past Glenn and the others. Standing in front, chest rising and falling unsteadily. His eyes shined in the darkness, glistening from unshed tears.

Toby's heart shot up into his throat, as he slipped away from Daryl, moving to the front of his group. He felt light, as if a weight on him was no longer there.

No one dared say a word, as Mason and Toby both looked the other over. Their faces clearly read that they had been at the ends of their rope, losing faith in finding one another.

A tear slid down a freckled cheek, while a watery grin split across Mason's.

"Hi."

"Hey."

Toby laughed through a sob, taking the full force of Mason's tackle.

The older brother squeezed Toby as hard as he could, lifting him off the floor and burying his face into his little brother's neck.

They both laughed into the other's shoulder, tears wetting spots on their clothes. It was amazing neither one tore any fabric, with the way they were holding so tightly to one another's shirts.

Daryl stood back, feeling a wetness building up in his eyes. Both situations that brought either one of the boys to him, were less than ideal. But it still reunited them, nonetheless.

Tara smiled, happy to see Mason get back the brother he spoke so dearly about. But as she watched, her eyes locked with Rick's.

The former sheriff's face fell, hardening as he recognized her.

Maggie saw the look, and put a hand on Tara's arm. "They're our friends. They helped save us."

Daryl grinned faintly. "Yeah. Now they're friends of ours."

At the sound of the hunter's voice, Mason beamed, pulling Toby with him, as he tackled Daryl into a hug too.

"For however long that'll be." Abraham remarked, just as grim as before, despite the tearful reunion between brothers.

"No."

Everyone stopped, and watched as Rick shook his head, looking out of a thin crack in the door.

"They're gonna feel pretty stupid when they find out." He said conversationally, voice coarse as he spoke quietly.

"Find out what?" Abraham asked suspicously.

Daryl smiled determinedly, holding securely onto Nye's world.

Michonne pursed her lips, standing straighter.

Carl fought a smirk, looking up to his dad.

Glenn, Maggie, Sasha, and Bob all shared a trusting look that went entirely over the new comers' heads.

Rick turned away from the door, a stripe of light glinting dangerously in his eyes, as he looked over his group.

"They're fucking with the wrong people."

...

It didn't escape Carol's notice that Nye wasn't talking to her.

And it was obvious that the young girl was wary of her too, eyeing her, always with a hand resting on a weapon in a way that appeared innocuous.

Carol didn't want to know what she and Tyreese had talked about the previous night. But it was unavoidable, because tension in a group was what gets them dismantled.

"Nye."

The head of hazel hair stopped bobbing, blonde highlights shining under the morning sunlight. Her head turned a fraction of an inch, as Nye hummed back at Carol in question.

Lydia held her guardian's hand, looking back at Carol, even more suspicous than before.

Tyreese, who was bringing up the rear with Judith and Samson, stalled.

Carol nodded to the woods on her right, despite knowing Nye wasn't looking. "We need to talk."

Lydia's eyes widened fearfully, as she looked up at Nye, almost pleadingly.

She remained rooted where she was, until a mighty sigh fell through her lips, and she nodded her now ducked head. With that, Nye spun around, following after Carol.

"Don't." Lydia called, trembling slightly.

Nye looked back over her injured shoulder, shooting a disarming smile the ravenette's way.

"I'll be fine sweety. Just stay with Ty, okay?"

Swallowing down anymore pleas, Lydia walked over, and tucked herself halfway behind the broad man.

The two women walked a fair distance from the train-tracks, in a stony silence. Once sure that they were out of earshot, Carol turned around, and watched as Nye's face shifted between many indiscernible expressions, before settling on apprehension.

"Tyreese told you something last night. Didn't he?"

"Yeah." Nye whispered, not bothering to hide it.

Carol deflated, tipping her head back as shame filled her. "So, you know what I did."

Nye only nodded this time, lips pulled into a sorrowful frown. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Carol shook her head, eyes shiny with bitter tears as she shrugged helplessly at the other woman. "I didn't want you to think of me any differently."

Nye scoffed lightly, sick at the remembrance of what Tyreese said Lizzie did to Mika. "Carol, what you did, it _had_ to happen. I know that sounds awful, but... you did the right thing. Even if it hurts. And even if it changes how people see you."

Carol stared at her in disbelief, then sighed bitterly. "That's not what Rick thought."

Nye rolled her eyes, putting on a soft smile. "Well, Rick is a-"

Nye's fresh smile fell, green eyes widening and zeroing on Carol.

"What do you mean ' _Rick_ '?"

Carol blinked in confusion. "Rick, he put it together that it was me that killed them. After that, he wanted me out of the prison."

Nye's heart dropped, and she took a staggering step back, realizing they were both having two entirely different conversations.

"No," Nye murmured, finding herself worried. "Carol, I was talking about Lizzie."

Carol's cheeks paled, as she now knew too, that there had been some major miscommunication.

"Who are _you_ talking about?"

Mouth opening and closing uselessly, Carol pulled on the ends of her sleeves, breath picking up.

But things started sliding into place. Tyreese's behavior and subtle animosity towards Carol. How Lydia watched the woman, seeming to be in on something important. And how Carol's words, just spoken, all fit together to portray a story Nye didn't want to be told.

Hazel locks swung, as Nye shook her head in disparity. Her frown wide and showcasing her disappointment, and loss of trust. Stepping back a few more paces, Nye gave a look that begged for a better answer.

"Carol, _you didn't_."

At Nye's whispered plea, Carol raised her hands to her mouth, shame even more obvious than before as tears stung her eyes.

After getting no response, Nye's brows furrowed in confusion and betrayal. A hand came up, tangling in her hair and goggles, as Nye stared blankly at Carol.

" _You_ did it. _You killed_ Karen and David."

Carol ducked her head.

Anger started raising, as Nye marched closer to the older woman.

"If you killed them," She started breathlessly, grabbing Carol's arms harshly. "than why didn't you kill m-"

"Nye! Carol!" Tyreese called quietly, running up from behind them.

Looking back, they could spot behind Tyreese, a large decaying mass, shambling down the train-tracks where they once walked.

"There's a herd. And it sounded like gunshots were coming from Terminus."

"Someone was attacking them." Carol mused, diverting attention away from hers and Nye's heated conversation, as she slipped out of the younger of the two's hold. " _Or_ they were attacking someone."

Nye glowered at the back of her head, breathing heavily through her teeth. Some ager faded though, as Lydia made a B-line for her, and took the brunette's hand. Samson quickly taking up the spot next to his tiny owner's side.

"Do we even want to find out?" Tyreese asked, looking off sceptically towards Terminus.

"We have to." Nye answered immediately, pulling Lydia along as she walked deeper into the woods, the train-tracks now unusable. "My boys could be waiting for me there. Daryl too."

Lydia nodded sagely. "Yeah. Your boys will probably be with their dad." She said in an attempt to reassure her.

Nye tripped over a root.

...

"They seemed nice enough, but I was ready to go."

In the train car, improvised weapons were being constructed by every member. Some taking their belts, and flattening the metal under their shoes to make three pronged shives. Some took to carving out sharp pierces of wood out of the beams keeping the car together. They were all making something to that effect. And then it was a matter of getting ready for the Termites arrival.

"We just got here, but, damn, it was time to go." Abraham explained as everyone prepared, helping Mason wrap his belt around his arm, for a better hold on his shive. "When I told them about DC, a wink and a nod from the head asshole in charge, they pulled their guns and it was right back to our regularly scheduled shitstorm." His voice rumbled lowly. He gave a questioning nod to Mason, who gave one right back, silently letting the red-head know that the belt was tight enough.

"Before they put you in here, you didn't see Tyreese?" Sasha asked worriedly.

"No."

"Good."

Daryl spoke next, looking to Maggie. "I was with Beth, but someone took her. Black car with a white cross painted on it. I tried to follow it. I tried."

"But she's alive?"

"She's alive."

"No sign of Mom either." Mason mumbled, looking apologetically at Toby.

Toby focused his attention on tying a piece of wood to his arm, using his shoelaces. Frowning in concentration, Toby only hummed.

"That's okay. She's probably just following a different route."

At the unwavering faith in the boys' voices, Daryl didn't bring himself to say anything.

"If she is indeed by her lonesome, there is a high likelihood she made it here before any of us. Which could mean any number of things could have, or are, happening to her."

"Cram it Point-Dexter!" Mason quietly barked at Eugene from across the car.

"Dude..." Tara sighed at the scientist as she saw fear on Toby's face.

"Leave them alone. We're all panicked enough." Rosita hissed protectively, mad at Eugene as well.

A group of voices started picking up volume, as they got closer to the train car.

Daryl, who stood at the door, on watch, gave a nod to everyone. "All right, got four of them pricks comin' our way."

Rick glared determinedly, walking up to stand beside his right-hand man, weapon raised. "You all know what to do. Go for their eyes first. Then their throats."

Mason stood a hair in front of Toby, subtly putting himself between his brother and the enemy.

"Put your backs to the walls on either side of the car now!" A man shouted from outside, clearly knowing something was up.

No one listened, only tensing themselves for battle harder.

But instead of the door opening, like they expected and prepared for, the ceiling above them disappeared, as someone opened a latch no one had noticed.

The people of Terminus proved smarter than previously assumed, as no one came barreling in for a fight they would surely lose. No, rather than fighting for their freedom, everyone watched as a grenade of some kind fell down from above.

Abraham was the first to react.

"Move!"

Mason spun around and dove on Toby, shielding his brother to the best of his abilities.

The grenade went off, a loud piercing crack sounded, ringing like a whip, as thick white smoke filled the car.

Only then did the door open.

A few men reached in, grabbing randomly into the car, and pulling out five people.

Rick, Glenn, Daryl, Bob, and Mason, were slammed down to the ground, disoriented and reeling from the grenade. Before they could try to recuperate, they were each given a blow to the head, causing some to fade out further, and some to black-out completely.

While Daryl blinked fervently, trying to keep conscious, he could have sworn, just for an instant, he saw forest green eyes through the fence, staring back at him with burning intensity.

...

" _10-minute count._ " A woman's voice crackled through a handheld radio. " _You screw up, you're on your own, Martin._ "

A man with black scruff, and a grey baseball cap was kneeling on the ground, setting up a large firework. "You don't have to tell me. I wipe my own ass." He snarked into the walkie-talkie, lazily chewing stale gum.

"Alex didn't get it." He talked conversationally, as he set up another brightly colored firework, a few yards to the right of the last one. "See, I knew the chick with the sword was bad news. Bitch looked like a weapon with a weapon."

" _He was always a sloppy-ass mother'._ " The woman reamarked, voice more exasperated than amused.

The man chuckled, not a care in the world. "Yeah, I told Albert I want the kid's hat after they bleed him out..."

He trailed off, last few words getting quieter, as the unmistakable cold muzzle of a gun pressed against the space right behind his ear.

"Keep your finger off the button and drop it." Carol whispered dangerously, gun clicking as she made it clear she wouldn't hesitate.

The man wisely raised his hands, not chancing looking back at the people threatening him.

" _They're only doing nine before public face. And one of them's a small fry._ " The woman spoke, not having any clue what was happening on the other end.

"Listen, y'all don't have to do this. Whatever you want, we got a place where everyone's welcome."

"Shut up, man." Tyreese warned.

"Okay." He replied obediently.

"We're friends of the chick with the sword and the kid in the hat." Carol said lowly.

The man stiffened, then risked glancing back. "About that-"

Nye marched three steps forward, ripping the man's hat off, then knotted her fingers in his dark hair, wrenching his head painfully back.

She looked down her nose at him, knife pressed harshly against his throat, which bobbed as he swallowed.

"The hat." Nye growled, eyes like burning emeralds. "What kind was it."

Thrown, the man chuckled nervously. "What?"

Nye snarled, digging the knife harder, drawing out a small trickle of blood.

"Okay, okay." He said hurriedly, raising his hands higher as he fought to push his head and neck even just a millimeter away from the blade. "It was a sheriff's hat. Brown, missin' the badge."

Nye's shoulders sank, but fear still held her own throat hostage.

"I'm guessin', you thought it was a bucket hat-"

Nye's stomach dropped.

"-or a red and white baseball cap? Am I right?" The man foolishly goaded.

Her pale cheeks flushed an angry crimson, as she jerked his head further, and moved to slit his throat.

"Nye!" Carol called, taking her wrist and stopping the brunette. "You can't-"

Nye's fierce glare whipped around at Carol. "You of _all_ people, do _not_ have the right to say who can, and can't be killed!"

Carol clenched her jaw, taking the jab with only a minute flinch.

"If you kill him, he can't tell us about our people. About Mason and Toby."

Nye panted, scowling furiously as the man started to smile, knowing he was going to live.

She let go of his hair violently enough to give him whiplash, storming away from them, and into the small rundown shack to their right. Barging in, and slamming the door closed without a word.

No one spoke as Tyreese tied up his hands, the man smiling despite this the whole time.

Inside the shack, he was thrown in the corner, until they could decide what to do with him.

Lydia sat on the other side, Samson laying on her lap, which ended up covering almost her entire body from his size.

"Cool dog." The man said appreciatively.

Nye shot up, holding her black pistol. "Say another word to her, and I'll put a bullet in your head, I don't care about what lies you could tell us."

"Settin' a bad example, don't you think?"

Nye's scowl didn't budge. "Lydia could probably kill you in more ways than I know how to. She's had it harder than any of us."

It wasn't a bluff. Nye reflected darkly on the things Lydia had told her about her group. And the disgusting things her mother, "Alpha", was capable of.

Nye only got angrier at the reminder of the many scars hiding under Lydia's sleeves. The scars the girl felt comfortable enough to share with her.

 _"We've all got scars."_ Nye had whispered, hiking up her right sleeve, as she spoke the same words Daryl had, all the way back when they were searching for Sophia.

"Look, you're friends were dangerous." He sighed. "They attacked us. We're just holdin' them."

"I don't believe you." Carol snapped back ruthlessly. "Who else do you have? Do you know their names?"

"We just have the boy and the samurai, that's it. We were just protecting ourselves."

Nye walked up, and pressed her pistol to his forehead. "Then how the hell do you know about my boys? Huh? One more lie, and I'll paint the walls with your fucking brain."

" _We_ don't believe you." Carol said, rummaging around in his bag, and finding his extra weapons and fireworks.

"There's a bunch of us out there in six different directions." He warned confidently. "There was a lot of gunfire back home. We need to set off our charges all at the same time to confuse the dead ones away. That's good for you, too." He insisted as Carol shouldered all his supplies.

"No, it isn't. There's a herd heading toward Terminus right now. We don't want to "confuse them away". We're gonna need their help." Carol explained, sounding bored.

Nye eyed the woman, and the gear, coming to a decision.

"It's a compound. They'll see you coming." The man said, sure of himself and Terminus. "If you even make it that far with all the cold bodies heading over."

As she headed out the door, Tyreese took her arm, stopping her. "Carol. How are you gonna do this?"

"I'm gonna kill people." She whispered unflinchingly.

This time, as she moved to leave, it wasn't Tyreese who stopped her.

"I'm coming with you." Nye asserted.

Lydia stood quickly on shaky legs, knocking Samson off of her lap. "W-what?"

For the first time since she and Carol left to talk privately, Nye smiled. Crouching down and looking up at Lydia, Nye took her hands and squeezed them.

"Hey, it's okay. I'll be _right_ back."

"B-but-"

Nye's smile turned anxious, and eager. "Baby, my sons are there. I have to go. But I _promise_ to be right back."

Lydia shook her head, breathing becoming erratic. "No! Y-you won't! She told us never to-"

"And I'm not her." Nye whispered stonily, eyes genuine. "Lydia, I will come back for you. No matter what. No matter the shape I'm in. Or how long the distance may be. I will _always_ come back for you."

Lydia's breath hitched, as her cheeks and nose remained flushed from getting worked up.

Then, hit with an idea, Nye smiled wider. "Here, I'll prove it."

With steady hands, Nye reached up and slipped off her goggles, gently transferring them to Lydia's.

"These belonged to someone incredibly important to me. I've worn them since the world ended. So, if you won't believe that I'll come back for you, know that I've always came back for these."

Lydia looked down at the dirty leather and glass, giving the barest hint of a nod.

Nye beamed, standing to full height. With one last glance over her shoulder as she walked away, Nye mused on the fact her head felt a thousand times lighter in an odd way.

Her lifted mood came crashing back down though, as she stepped out, standing right next to Carol.

"Let's go. Ready?"

Nye glared ahead, taking out her pistol again.

"I'll burn the place down if I have to. I'll put a bullet in anyone who gets in the way. I'll laugh while it happens if there's even a scratch on them. You bet your fucking ass I'm ready."

...

There was a saw revving, cutting into something wet, then something hard. The room they were being dragged into smelled like blood and sweat. And there were tables on the far wall, one that was occupied by a dead and naked body. Where the man with the saw stood.

Mason looked away as he spotted through his blurry vision, what they were doing to it. He didn't understand why they were going through the trouble of cutting the body up, if they were just going to throw it away.

No one had yet to explain what Terminus' main source of meat was to him.

They were forced down onto their knees in front of a long metal trough, gags had been tied around their mouth at some point, Mason wasn't clear on when.

The order went Bob, Rick, Daryl, Mason, Glenn, and then four men they were all unfamiliar with. Though Rick seemed to recognize the blonde guy on the other end of the trough. The guy happening to be the one who Rick gave his watch to while he was on the run with Carol, in which Rick then left her behind for murdering Karen and David.

Mason trembled, swallowing around an ever-growing lump in his throat.

Daryl panted, looking down at him in heavy concern. Grunting for the teen's attention, Daryl looked him in the eyes and gave him the most reassuring nod possible.

But it was still only a nod. As Mason's trembling got worse, a man with a metal baseball bat (Mason's baseball _cap_ had been taken away upon Terminus' true intensions being revealed) who wore a blood covered apron. And a man with a butchers knive, and a matching apron, walked over to the gagged blonde at the end of the trough.

The ' _shing_ ' of the butchers knife sliding against the knife sharpener sent a chill down Mason's spine.

Then, standing behind the blonde guy, the man with the bat swung hard, hitting the back of the blonde's head, killing him instantly. Before anyone could blink, or look away, the other man, pulled the dead blonde's head up by his hair, slitting his throat so deep it looked halfway cut off.

The blood pooled in the trough, as some of the strangers started to yell and scream through their gags. Mason's eyes tracked the ever growing amount of blood, grimly understanding what they needed the trough for now.

There was a hard nudge on his right shoulder, and when Mason looked, Daryl was staring back at him.

"Don' 'ook. Ace, jus' 'ook a' me."

Mason nodded, huffing around his gag as his whole body shook.

Daryl bit down on the fabric gagging him, pulling with all his strength on the zip-ties around his wrists and ankles.

Something reflected in the trough in front of him, and when he looked, he sucked in sharply.

Her green eyes were unforgiving, as she crossed her phantom arms over the trough, lips pulled into a stern frown.

" _You couldn't save me. Now you can't save them._ "

Another swing of the bat, and immediate gushing of blood, as Daryl snarled and fought his restraints hard enough that he began to cut into his wrists.

Her eyes blazing with the scorn of a protective mother, she leaned in, an inch away from his face.

" _If they die, I'll be gone for good. Beth was right, you'll be the last man standing, Daryl. And you'll die being the only one left who remembers me._ "

His jaw ached, fabric fibers fraying as he ground his teeth hard enough to crack them. Mason trembled at his side, turning his head, and hiding his face in Daryl's leather vest. Another crack, another slice, and another body closer to it being them next.

She stood, eyes so clear he might have thought she was real.

" _Daryl Dixon, how am I supposed to haunt you if you're all dead too? How am I going to keep being here, if the only people who know me, who love me, are gone?_ "

Footsteps echoed, as Gareth walked in, completely unbothered by the horrific sight in front of him. Flipping through a notebook, he nodded to the man with the bat. "Hey, guys. What were your shot counts?"

"38." Answered the one with the bat, swinging and killing the fourth one in line.

One last body, blood spurting out of the artery so hard that you could hear the pressure, slumping over the trough, leaving Glenn to be next. And right after him, Mason was the next in line. If things didn't change immediately, Daryl was going to have to watch Ace get butchered like cattle.

Glenn clenched eyes shut, as the bat came up.

Mason stopped breathing, static filling his head as he dreaded the upcoming thud.

She watched with apathy. Fingers tapping a rhythm on her arm that only Daryl could hear.

"Hey!"

Everyone stopped, including the man with the bat.

Gareth raised his brows leadingly. "Your shot count?"

The one with the knife glanced around nervously. "Crap, man, I'm sorry. It was my first roundup."

Gareth closed his eyes, holding the bridge of his nose in exhaustion. "After you're done here, go back to your point and count the shells. Kaylee won't be gathering them until tomorrow."

As the male brunette looked over the line of corpses, and those to be, his expression made it clear that they were nothing but pigs for slaughter to him.

"Hey! Hey, 'et me ta'k to you!" Bob called through his gag.

Gareth totally ignored him, jotting something down in the notebook. "Five from A, four from D?"

"Yeah."

"Hey! 'et me ta'k to you 'or a minute!" Bob persisted, calling out several more times before Gareth finally rolled his eyes and pulled Bob's gag away.

"What?"

"Don't do this." He said the second the gag was away. "We can fix this."

"No, you can't." Gareth replied plainly.

"You don't have to do this." Bob shook his head, eyes trying to connect with Gareth's on some level. "We told you there's a way out of all this. You just have to take a chance. We have a man who knows how to stop it. He has a cure. We just have to get him to Washington. You don't have to do this, man. We can put the world back to how it was."

Gareth sighed tiredly, as if he had heard it all before. "Can't go back, Bob."

"We can! You don't have to do this!" Bob pleaded, as the gag was put back.

Instead of leaving, Gareth crouched down in front Rick. Pulling his gag away with a little resistance from Rick's locked jaw. After getting it free, Gareth uncaringly wiped his hand off on Rick's coat.

"We saw you go into the woods with a bag and come out without it." He started, brow raised. "Had to pull my spotters back before we could go look for it. What was in it? You hid it, right? In case things went bad?"

Rick glared a deadly stare straight at Gareth, but the other man didn't react accordingly.

He smiled, huffing a chuckle even, as he nodded approvingly. "Smart. Still, we'll find it. But it's too dangerous to go out there right now."

Pulling out a long dagger, Gareth grabbed Bob's head, and held the tip an inche away from his eye. Gareth looked boredly back over to Rick.

"What was in it? I'm curious. And it was a _big_ bag."

Rick didn't cave, not a word said back despite the unspoken threat.

Gareth rolled his eyes, sighing. "You really gonna let me do this?" Getting no response, Gareth's gaze flickered to Mason. "Maybe I should try the kid? He seems to care a lot about you all, asking about you the second he got here."

The second Gareth moved in Mason's direction, Daryl launched himself forward, banging into the trough. While Rick finally said something.

"Well, let me take you out there. I'll show you."

Gareth huffed, unimpressed, as he reached over, gripping and pulling on Mason's shirt, making the teen lean closer.

"Not gonna happen." He said, ignoring the raging and bound redneck. "This might." He raised the dagger.

"There's guns in it." Rick spat out, fast and loud. His reward was immediate, as Gareth lowered the dagger a few inches.

"AK-47. 44 Magnum. Automatic weapons. Nightscope." He listed off, trying to remember everything. "There's a... compound bow, _aaand_ a machete with a red?" He nodded. " _R_ _ed_ handle."

With the dagger lowered completely, but Mason still shaking in Gareth's grip, Rick felt his blood boiling.

" _That's_ what I'm gonna use to kill you."

Gareth smiled, as if just being growled at by an angry Pomeranian. Putting the gag back, and giving a patronizing pat on Rick's shoulders. "Thanks."

Standing up, he went back to ordering his men around.

"You have two hours to get them on the driers. I'm gonna go back to public face. Now's the time we can get messy, but we need to dial it all in by sundown."

"Got it."

"Yes, sir."

Then, for some reason, she smiled, conniving and confident.

As Gareth moved for the door, there was the sudden crack of gunshots. Everyone looked around, wondering who's side the gunfire was coming from.

The man with the bat brushed it off, raising his bat behind Glenn for the final time.

More shots, a lot of them.

Gareth whipped out a walkie-talkie, looked over towards the main door edgily. "Hey, Chuck?"

Static was the only response he got in return.

Nye's smile stood strong, her eyes calm as she shrugged.

Daryl watched her in absolute confusion. Wondering why it felt like she knew something they didn't.

" _But I guess I gotta do everything, huh, Hotshot?_ "

The ceiling shook, as the familiar feeling of an explosion rocked the building.

It was like the prison. No one even knew what hit them, until it was too late. Destruction reigning from the mystery shooter immediately following the loud fireball exploding outside.

Dust and rubble surrounding them, as gunshots and screams sounded from outside, they watched the panic going on around them. And even with that happening, Mason's lips pulled upwards.

Because, whether it was intuition, or reckless optimism, Mason knew what was happening. He knew who was out there, wreaking havoc and saving the day. He knew, he wasn't sure how, but he just _knew_.

"She found us." He breathed through the gag, eyes bright and faithful. "She _found us_."

...

Two sheets, both with a hole torn in the middle, were put over Carol, and Nye, while they worked to cover them with Walker blood.

"How'd you learn to do this?"

"I didn't." Nye said, eyes down, and hands deep in the Walker's chest. Its rotting organs didn't even give her pause this time, as she knew Mason and Toby were just on the other side of a fence. "Lydia showed me. So it would suck if you killed her too."

Carol sighed, squeezing what was probably the stomach, hard enough that it fell apart. "Nye, now's not the time-"

"No. Now's the perfect time. We have to cover ourselves in gore, and while we do that, we got nothing _but_ time to kill." She ranted, smashing some guts onto her chest harder that necessary. "So, you're going to tell me, why I'm still alive."

Carol stopped, looking up from the Walker. "What?"

Nye threw down the half of the intestines she was holding in a vice-like grip. "I was spitting up blood, while they had the sniffles. So why the _fuck_ , did you kill them, and not me?"

"Are you serious? You have two kids. And God knows what Daryl would have done if I took you away. Besides, you're family, I couldn't kill you, even if I wanted too."

Nye shook her head, looking up from under her bangs, eyes disbelieving and angry. "No, it's not that simple. Can you honestly tell me, that if I was from Woodbury, that if we didn't know each other since Atlanta, you still would have let me live? Can you look me in the eye, and tell me you wouldn't have killed me that night? Mason, Toby, and Daryl still included?"

Carol didn't reply, knowing that if she said what Nye wanted, it would be a lie, and she was so tired of those.

Nye scoffed, mixing blood with dirt, and smearing it over her glowering face. "Yeah. It doesn't matter if Mason and Toby lost another mom. What matters is how you feel, apparently. What matters, is that I'm lucky you like me, and that you were selfish enough to keep me alive."

"Nye-"

Standing, she slung her crossbow over her shoulder, gripping onto her broken wrench. "You don't care how it hurts everyone else. You just care about the guilt you'd be under, for murdering a friend."

Walking away, she heard Carol rush to her feet.

"I tried!"

Nye's scavenged pair of boots stilled, as she kept her back to Carol.

"I-I... I had my knife to your throat. But I couldn't do it. It was selfish, and flawed, I know. Karen and David were still alive when I left your cell."

"So why'd you still kill them?"

Carol took a deep breath. "Because I was scared. I was scared for everyone. But I wasn't scared enough to kill you. I thought, even with a little damage control, things might be safer."

Nye turned her head, looking over her shoulder. "It was still selfish. You put your own feelings above everyone's well-being. You chose to keep your hands free of my blood, even if I ended up getting someone, maybe even a kid, sick."

"Are you saying you wished I killed you?"

Nye sighed, walking again as she marched her way towards Terminus. "No. I'm just saying you were wrong in keeping me alive. You should have left Karen and David alone, or killed all three of us. There shouldn't have been an in-between. Because then, what's the point?"

The rest of the trip over to where the tracks met was heavy with tension. While some things had been aired out, it was clear that Carol was going to have to earn back Nye's trust, after keeping something like that a secret.

And finally, after what felt like days, they could see the fence through the trees, followed slowly by catching a voice floating from behind it.

Keeping to the trees, they walked the perimeter, watching the Termites as some of them reached into a red train car. When they pulled back, they dragged five bodies with them.

The first was Rick, who's clothes were stained in live human blood, his face masked by a rugged beard that had grown unruly in the time apart. Next was Glenn, who looked forever the same, with the only change being his hair, which looked maybe an inch longer. Then there was Bob, who's shoulder looked wounded, much like Nye's.

Then the last two.

The second to last was dragged out kicking, and thrashing, as he fought with everything he had to escape his holders. His hair was longer, falling over his eyes, and he still wore the winged vest she would always associate with him. Daryl was thrown down next to the last three, getting a hit to the head to try and get him under control.

Something in Nye's chest ached as she stumbled towards the fence, reaching and holding onto the weaved metal as she watched the Termites through the fence, as they hurt her Dixon.

There was a split-second, that Nye could have sworn Daryl looked her dead in the eye.

The last to come out, took Nye's breath away.

He was taller. Not by much, but enough to notice. His hat was missing, and he was covered in dirt. He looked scared, and it made Nye want to personally slit the throat of everyone in Terminus.

"Ace, baby, I'm right here." Nye choked, knuckles white as she gripped the fence, ready to hop it as the Termites started pulling the five toward a warehouse.

"Daryl, Maso-"

Carol rushed to cover the brunette's mouth, stopping her from yelling as her voice kept rising with every syllable.

Nye slapped the hand away, eyes burning with a light Carol hadn't seen since the prison.

"They're here, Carol. My babies, my hunter, they're here."

"I know." Carol whispered diplomatically, lifting her sniper rifle, and pointing it through the fence. "We'll get them."

Nye nodded, heart soaring, as a wicked grin split her face.

"Tell me what to do."

Carol watched through the sniper scope, as they spotted the upcoming herd, and began to panic. "Just wait. We'll be in there soon."

The Termites screamed, shooting fruitlessly at the impenetrable force of Walkers.

Carol looked through the scope of the sniper rifle, sight locking on a huge metal gas tank, with the word 'Arnett' on it. Moving back, Carol took their other rifle, sticking one of the fireworks down the barrel, and then handing the gun to Nye.

Lifting back up her own, Carol aimed at the tank and started shooting. It took three shots to pierce it, and when she did, a large plume of white gas started escaping with a hiss.

Nye didn't need any instruction, as she closed one eye, aiming at the tank while Carol took the short wire attached to the firework, lighting it.

Nye grimaced as it shot out of the gun, preparing for the abuse her ears were about to suffer.

The firework reached the tank, igniting the gas and exploding into a massive ball of fire in the same instant. The force was so strong it shook the ground the two women were standing on. Dozens of Walkers flew through the air, burning away as they paid the fire smothering them no mind. The explosion served as a perfect distraction for them to slip into Terminus, all while causing serious destruction.

"Come on." Carol picked up their gear, cutting a hole in the fence with garden shears they found in the shack.

Shortly after slipping into Terminus, Nye and Carol hid themselves in the mass of Walkers descending upon the community.

A thick cloud of smoke impeded their vision, and gave Nye an anxious feeling, linked back to seeing the same sort of environment during the attack on the prison. There was the same sounds of screaming, gunshots, and fire blazing as back when their home was demolished. But this time, Nye felt nothing towards the people on the ground they passed by, the people who were being eaten alive, or were burning to death. Because they weren't her people, these ones were instead the opposite. By attacking her people, they put themselves in the position to be executed without mercy. So in her mind, the grotesque scene going on all around her, felt similar to putting down a violent and rabid dog.

"Where are we going?" Nye demanded as she noticed Carol leading her to a random door to another building. Veering off course from the warehouse where they saw the five just be taken.

Carol ducked into the doorway, raising her sniper and taking headshot at the guards stationed outside the warehouse. The shots attracted local Walkers, however, so Carol rushed to drag Nye into the building, closing the door behind the steaming brunette.

"Wrong building Care." Nye bristled, moving to go right back out the door.

Carol stopped her, grabbing her gore covered arms. "If you die being reckless, than you can't see your boys again. And if you go out there, you will. Daryl would never forgive me if you did."

Nye frowned. "Why would he blame you? And he would be fine anyway, we've lost a lot of our people, Merle included, and he's still going. I wouldn't be any different."

Carol pursed her lips, looking like she dearly wanted to refute that, but they didn't have the time. Not letting go of one of her arms, Carol started dragging Nye further into the building, other hand holding up her rifle, finger on the trigger.

...

Slipped from their bindings, and having killed the men with the knife and bat, the group of five ran through the maze of a warehouse, trying to locate the exit.

What they found though, explained pretty much everything.

"Oh God." Glenn groaned, looking sick as they slowly walked into a meat curing room. But instead of the normal pork or beef on the meat hooks, there were limbless torsos.

Immediately upon noticing what was in the room, Daryl turned around and blocked Mason's view.

"Don't look. Keep your head down."

Mason didn't ever feel the need to question the redneck, and quickly ducked his head with a quiet "Okay." keeping his eyes on the blood stained floor.

"You come across any of these people, you kill them. Don't hesitate. They won't." Rick ordered, taking the discovery of the room with fury, and not just disgust.

They all took some knives to arm themselves, and Daryl felt disturbed as he handed Mason's his, knowing what they had been used for.

"Stay behind me. Don't look up until I tell you." Daryl told the teen, hoping to get him out of the area as soon as possible.

Mason nodded, head still lowered, while with his free hand he reached out and knotted his fingers into Daryl's sleeve so the hunter could lead him.

As they headed down the hallways guardedly, Mason started to smile.

"It has to be her." Risking a glance up at Glenn, Mason grinned. "I told you she'd find us."

Daryl's chest ached.

"Don't get your hopes up." Glenn gently reminded him. "We don't have a clue if it was even someone on our side."

Mason shook his head stubbornly. "It's her. I can feel it."

They finally got to the door leading outside, carefully opening it and looking in on the chaos. With no choice but to step out into it.

...

Meanwhile in the other building, Nye and Carol found a room that disturbed them for different reasons.

"This isn't the lost and found, is it?" Nye said in a hush, walking by the tables stacked full of toys, watches, hats, and all things in that regard.

Carol stopped in front of the watches, picking up Rick's, the one he gave to the blonde stranger so he and his girlfriend would now when to meet up with them. It now was clear why he had never met back with them.

Nye dove for the table brimming with hats, picking handfuls of them up and dropping them to the floor as she dug through them. When she finally found her son's cap, worn and dirty red and white catching her eye, she sighed in relief, tipping it up and securing it on her head for safe keeping.

On the next table over, was piles of stuffed animals. After a quick scan, Nye impulsively took a random pink elephant out of the surplus of them, then a pastel yellow duck. Tying the soft trunk around her belt to hold on to, same as one of the wings.

Neither Judith or Lydia had anything to play with, and she wanted to change that.

"Nye."

Looking over at the last section of tables, Nye spotted countless guns and knives, which Carol was picking through, taking back the ones belonging to their people.

The brunette's hand shot forward, taking the crossbow she could probably draw from memory.

Carol looked between it, and Nye's own hand-me-down crossbow. "Do you want me to carry i-"

"No." Nye spoke through a gasp, pulling the weapon to her chest. "I-I got it."

Carol didn't argue, hoping to give as much comfort to the younger woman as she could. And if holding onto a piece of Daryl put her at ease, then Carol wouldn't try to stop it.

Through the next door, they found a large room, full of lit candles, and words written across the floor. On the walls, there was a message.

 **Never again. Never trust. We first. First always.**

Nye shuddered, hold strong on her wrench, focusing on the soothing weight of the two crossbows on her back.

"Where the hell are we?"

Carol shook her head silently, looking around the room in unease just like Nye was. "Someplace I don't think we were supposed to see."

Nye glared shakily from under the bill of the cap. "That's not reassuring Carol."

"It wasn't meant to be. Come on."

As they walked to the door, there was the distinct sound of the hammer of a gun being pulled back.

"Drop your weapons and turn around! I want to see your faces."

Nye swallowed, stiff as a statue as her eyes were the only thing to move, locking with Carol's.

"Now!"

Carol gave an almost unnoticeable nod, as she slowly set down her sniper rifle. Nye clenched her teeth, letting both crossbows slip from her shoulders. But under her blood covered sheet, the woman didn't see the machine-gun Carol picked up from the pile. Making it seem like she was just putting down another weapon, Carol got the gun firmly in her hands, spinning around and shooting rapid fire at the woman.

The red-headed woman screamed, diving to the floor and accidentally dropping her handgun. Carol went to shoot her dead, but the woman stood and charged at Carol, taking one of the metal candle stands and tried to hit Carol with it. They wrestled on the floor for few seconds, knocking over several candle shelves. The woman eventually got to her feet, raising the stand above her head to smash it down on Carol.

"Drop it!"

The woman froze, looking over her shoulder.

Nye snarled, crossbow loaded and aimed at the red-head.

Carol stood, pointing the machine-gun back on her too.

She panted, drenched in blood, as she looked around the wrecked room, eyes watering. "The signs? They were real. It was a sanctuary. People came and took this place."

Nye rolled her eyes in disgust. "No one cares-"

"And they raped and they killed and they _laughed_ over weeks!" The woman spoke over Nye, getting even more worked up. "But we got out and we fought and we _got it back_. And we heard the message. You're the _butcher_ or you're the _cattle_."

"The men they pulled from that train car, our people, where are they?" Carol demanded.

The red-headed woman didn't say a word, attempting to hold some semblance of control.

Nye didn't care for that.

Almost lazily lifting her crossbow, Nye shot the woman in the thigh. Face passive as the woman screamed and fell to the floor, holding her leg.

"Where are they?" Carol demanded again, anger rising.

The woman cackled, making Nye's rage worse.

"Now point it at my head." She rasped, deranged smile on her face. "You could have been one of us. You could have listened to what the world is telling you!"

"No one gives a shit about how you people have twisted things. You rant about what you went through, and then out of spite, turn around and do the same to others. You better hope to God I don't find you in hell, because if I do, I'm gonna have some fun with it."

The conviction in Nye's voice put a chill down Carol's spine.

"You lead people here and you take what they have and you kill them? Is that what this place is?" Carol asked harshly, gun still aimed at the red-head.

"No, not at first." The woman argued breathlessly, shaking her head feebly. "It's what it had to be. And we're still here." She said, as if it was some kind of victory.

Carol lowered her gun, and after a moment, Nye lowered her crossbow too.

"No. You're just cockroaches. Surviving pathetically isn't something to be proud of."

"You're not here. And neither are we." Carol whispered, pulling Nye back towards the door outside, and opening it.

The Walkers couldn't smell Nye or Carol, so they all shambled by them both, going for the obviously alive, and blood covered red-head.

"No! No! No! Oh! No, God! No! No!"

As they stepped outside, Nye wondered when it was that she became such a monster. While she nearly relished in the woman's screams.

...

The warehouse was empty, save for some bodies. The whole of Terminus was full of Walkers. And the red train car that Rick and the others were pulled from, was empty.

Their people were nowhere to be seen.

Nye stared blankly down into the stream, as she and Carol washed off the blood caking them.

Carol wiped her hands dry onto her pants, giving Nye a placating look. "They're fine. They took the distraction and got out. We just have to find them out here."

Nye didn't move, absently combing her hair with her fingers, then put Mason's cap back on backwards. "They were _right there_."

Carol nodded, standing and picking back up her half of the gear. "And they're still here. We just have to find them." She repeated.

Nye stood, picking up the crossbows with a quiet sniffle.

"Let's go. They might still be near the outer fence."

Nye nodded, starting off marching in a random direction.

"Where are you going?"

Nye's brows furrowed, as a hand came up and rubbed right above her left breast. "I don't know. But it feels like the right way."

...

"Right here." Daryl said, he and Rick crouching down in front of a patch of dirt.

"The hell are we still around here for?" Abraham asked harshly, wanting to get Eugene and the kid out of the woods near Terminus.

"Guns, some supplies." Rick explained, digging up and pulling out a huge duffle that was full.

"Go along the fences." He pulled out his colt, checking the ammo just to be sure. "Use the rifles. Take out the rest of 'em."

"What?" Glenn asked.

"They don't get to live." Rick said venomously.

Glenn closed his eyes, taking a calming breath. "Rick, we got out. _It's over_."

"It's not over till they're all dead."

"The hell it isn't." Rosita scoffed. "That place is on _fire_. Full of Walkers."

Abraham shook his head. "I'm not dicking around with this crap."

"We just made it out." Maggie tried to calmly argue. "The fences are down. They'll run or die."

While they were talking, two figures slowly approached, with racing hearts.

Nye felt choked up, but in the best way, as she looked over her boys. Toby was standing by Glenn, looking back in the line of sight of Terminus' fence in worry. Mason was next to two women Nye didn't recognize, both with black hair.

But Daryl, his back was to her, and she so badly wanted him to turn around and see her.

Toby sighed, turning away from where Terminus sat, burning, and looked out into the open woods instead.

Brown locked with green.

He blinked, face neutral for a second that felt like an eternity. He blinked two more times, then his eyes widened, lips parting as he finally registered what he was seeing.

While his face was shocked, disbelieving, Nye beamed. Eyes tearing up as her shoulders shook with silent laughter.

Carol stood back, happy to watch.

Toby blindly reached out to Mason, snagging his shirt and pulling at it incessantly. When Mason finally looked, brows drawn in annoyance, he followed Toby's gaze.

Mason, like Toby, only blinked blandly at her, things not clicking right away. But as she gave a joking wave, Mason's annoyed look fell, replaced by shock, then awe, then pure joy.

The two would probably later deny it, but they were crying before they could even get their legs to move.

And finally, they seemed to break out of their stupor.

"Mom!" Mason cheered through a sob, he and Toby running at her.

When they connected, Nye felt something euphoric explode in her chest. They were so tall, chins now resting on her shoulders, as she had to stand on her toes to wrap her arms over theirs.

It was the lightest Nye had felt in her life, knowing she finally found them, and got to hold them again. She knew she was probably being loud, the way she was laughing and crying at the same time, but she didn't care if she attracted any dead attention.

Toby blubbered, shoulders jerking and knocking into her chin as he sobbed openly. The relief rolling off of him only caused Nye to smile and cry harder.

Mason was a little more reserved in terms of his tears, but his laughter was loud and boisterous. He was tall enough now, that he easily started rocking them all, arms tighter than a cobra around his mother and brother.

"I knew it!" He laughed into her hair, rubbing against her head like a needy cat. "I knew it was you!"

"Missed you." Toby croaked, the two words followed by a harsh and shaking sob. "Missed you _so mu-u-uch_."

Nye closed her eyes tight, smile wobbling as she clung to them with all she had.

"I love you. I love you two more than anything." She cried, mind not even picking up on the burning pain in her arm as Toby squeezed against it.

Everyone around watched, with varying degrees of happiness for the boys, and their own relief at seeing Nye and Carol.

But there was one person who was stunned.

 _"She's gone."_

Daryl's breath hitched, as her eyes cracked open, spotting him over her boys' shoulders.

Then, she smiled. That crooked smile. That crooked smile that made him feel weak, and unstoppable at the same time.

 _"She's gone."_

No, Daryl shook his head, feet unsteady, she was right there.

Toby glanced back, and saw him staring. Then with a wide and faintly mischievous grin, he slowly pulled Mason back, as they detached from her.

She looked confused at first, until the two split apart, so the path between the hunter and brunette was clear.

She looked up at him from under her bangs, teary eyed and flushed.

 _"She's gone."_

She beamed, back straight as she carried his old, and new crossbows.

He stopped breathing completely, when her smile parted, eyes locked with his, and not going anywhere.

"Hi."

There was a pain in his chest, a good pain. Because Beth was wrong. She wasn't gone. She was right in front of him, and she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

He didn't even realize he moved, until she was in his arms.

Nye giggled in a way she never had before, face flushing for a different reason than crying, as Daryl lifted her off of the ground. She could feel his breathing against her ear, sending a tantalizing shiver through her. His chest was heaving, as he gently, yet haphazardly swung her back and forth, her feet not even an inch close to the ground.

She felt light, but in a different way than when her boys hugged her. This time she felt airy, like she might float away if Daryl wasn't holding her so tightly.

In the background, Mason and Toby shared a wide grin. The sight before them was such a stark contrast from when Daryl had first chucked her inhaler to her, back on the farm. They had not only succeeded, it was safe to say, but they went beyond their original goal.

Yeah, they made Nye and Daryl become more than friends. Even if the two didn't know it yet.

Her feet touched down onto the ground, as Daryl ducked his head over hers, their foreheads knocking and settling against each other.

And as she looked up at him, she felt the strongest pull, to kiss him.

 _I want to kiss him._ She thought breathlessly, eyes flickering down to his lips. _When did I start wanting to kiss him?_

 _It was before I got shot._ Her eyes widened with the stupefying realization, face flushing darker. _I've had this feeling since we found the prison. I just didn't know that's what it was._

While she was lost in thought, she didn't notice Daryl having the same dilemma. Only his was arguably worse.

The farm. All the way back to the farm. When she helped him search for Sophia, started calling him by his name, started spending time with him for no other reason than wanting his company, and started to give him those crooked smiles. That was when it started for him, and it was terrifying to know that she had such control over him for that long.

They locked eyes again, both breaking out of their trains of thought at the same time.

With a sheepish smile and ruby red face, Nye leaned back before she gave in a kissed him.

 _Jesus Christ. I have feelings for Daryl Dixon._

Rick slowly walked up to Carol during the interaction, giving her a disbelieving smile. "Did you do that?"

Carol smiled back, albeit hesitantly, and nodded. "Me and Nye."

Rick grinned, pulling the shocked woman into a hug.

Wiping his eyes dry, Mason spun around and punched Eugene in the arm, causing the man to yelp. Abraham let it slide.

"I fucking told you she was coming for us!"

"Apologies." He muttered, rubbing his arm. "I was unaware your mother was so young and assumably fit."

Rosita gave him an unimpressed look, putting an arm protectively around Mason's shoulders. The curly haired teen smiled dopily, face turning red, much like Nye's.

As Nye stepped back, Carol took her wrist.

"You have to come with us." Carol said gravely, looking between Rick, Carl, and Sasha.

Nye grinned from ear to ear. "Yeah, we've got something to show you."

...

"What's with the dolls?"

Nye glanced down at her belt, where the elephant and duck hung. Letting go of Mason's hand, Nye raised a finger to her lips with a wink.

"You'll see."

Mason rolled his eyes, looking out to the woods with a smile.

Nye plucked his cap off of her head, putting it back where it belonged. Then took his hand in her left one again, while her right swung in Toby's ironclad grip.

Mason grinned wider, fixing the hat securely atop his head.

"Where're your goggles?" Toby asked worriedly, noticing their absence right away.

Daryl looked back, from where he was walking ahead.

Nye squeezed their hands. "Don't worry, they're somewhere safe."

"Hey."

Nye looked to her right, where one of the ravenettes was walking, or maybe strutting was a better word for it.

Rosita smiled at the scene, Nye walking hand-in-hand with her boys. "You raised some pretty tough kids."

Nye started to smile, but Mason's suddenly sweaty hand caused it to break into a smirk.

"Yeah, I'm as surprised as you are." She joked. "I'm Nye. May I know the name of such a lovely lady?" She asked with an overly sultry wink.

Mason hung his head, face burning. "Oh my God Mom stop."

"I'm Rosita. I guess Mason wasn't lying about you being a flirt?"

Nye broke the act, shrugging. "Nah, not a serious one at least. Feel free to tell me to fuck off if it makes you uncomfortable."

Rosita smiled kindly. "I don't think it'll be a problem. But be careful with Tara, she might take it seriously and get her hopes up."

Nye's eyebrows shot up. "She likes girls?"

Rosita nodded, and Nye gave an intrigued hum.

Daryl walked rigidly ahead, eyes scanning for the other woman, Tara.

"Nye," Carl fell back, walking next to Toby. "Where are we going? Carol won't tell us."

Nye softened, giving a motherly expression. " _Jesus_ , you're tall. Sorry Chief, I can't tell you, but the surprise will be worth it, I promise."

Carl sighed, walking back up next to Michonne, who chuckled faintly at the teen's grumpy muttering.

When Nye knew they were getting close to the shack, she glanced between her boys in apprehension.

"So, I may have been keeping something from you. But I don't want you guys to freak out, and scare her."

Toby frowned in concern, confusedly mouthing 'her?'. And Mason narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

They all trudged up the steep road, making it up over the incline, and spotting the shack.

Samson sat up from his spot on the porch, tail wagging as he darted to Nye, the only familiar and trustworthy scent.

Abraham moved his gun up, but Nye stopped him with a deadly glare.

"Shoot him, and risk life and limb, asshole."

Abraham glared back at her, but dropped his rifle.

Mason and Toby grinned down at the dog.

"You got a Saint Bernard?!" Toby whisper-yelled excitedly, petting Samson with his free hand.

"Not the main focus here." Nye whispered back, as the door in front of them opened.

Tyreese stepped out, looking over everyone in tired relief. When he spotted Sasha, he had to bite his lip to keep it still.

But what most of them were looking at, was the tiny body in Tyreese's arms.

Rick and Carl dropped their bags and guns, not needing any dead weight, as they ran for the shack.

As Rick gently yet hurriedly took Judith from Tyreese, he cried happily, falling to his knees as Carl stood beside his father, crying right alongside him with a wide smile.

Sasha shook, laughing tearily as Tyreese picked her up into a hug.

While the reunions were beautiful, Nye looked to the cracked door. When it opened a few more inches, amber eyes peeking out, Nye let go of the two hands she held.

She missed the anger and hurt that flashed through Mason and Toby's faces as she disconnected.

Nye took a few steps forward, smiling gently to the door. "It's okay sweety, you can come out."

At first there was no sign of someone else being in the shack, until it swung open, Lydia running down the porch in a blur, and launching herself into Nye's arms.

The brunette grinned, easily picking up the girl and putting her on her hip. Lydia ducked her head, hiding it in Nye's neck as she mumbled something.

Nye nodded, listening to the girl that only she could pick up the whispers of.

Mason and Toby watched how Nye looked at the kid, and rubbed her back soothingly. Something hot and ugly started building in Mason, as he started experiencing jealousy maybe for the first time. Toby only frowned, feeling a minor sting of it, compared to Mason.

"Yeah, this is them." Nye whispered, rocking the girl, who whispered something else.

The smile on her face split wider, as Nye turned to her boys. "Yep. Mason and Toby." Lydia whispered another question, and Nye blushed. "He's the one with the leather vest, with wings.

Lydia nodded, and that was when the two boys noticed the goggles sitting there.

Mason scowled. The goggles didn't belong there.

After sharing a few hushed words with Tyreese, Rick looked over to Nye, and marched her way.

Nye was immediately on the defensive. "Whatever he told you was a-"

Because Lydia was being held by her, Rick chose to forget the hug, and put a sturdy hand on her shoulder.

" _Thank you_."

Nye swallowed, not knowing how to take such gratitude with any grace.

"You... you did the same for mine."

Rick smiled, but shook his head. "You helped save Carl by giving him blood back on the farm. And you got Judith out safely. _Thank you_."

Nye's eyes burned with new tears. "Yeah. I mean- No problem. I'd do it all again if they needed me too."

"Who's this?" Glenn gently asked, smiling softly at Lydia, who had been peeking around curiously.

She ducked her head again.

"This little cutie is Lydia. I promised that when I found you guys, we'd show her how a real group works."

Glenn nodded solemnly, understanding the underline message, that Lydia hadn't been with good people.

"Of course." Maggie pitched in, finding the shy girl adorable. "Lydia'll fit right in."

Mason and Toby stood back, sharing uncomfortable looks with each other. They hadn't ever had to share Nye with someone, except with each other.

"We need to go."

"Yeah, but where?" Daryl asked, watching as Lydia meekly put Nye's goggles back. Getting a smile in return, that was identical to the ones she often gave Mason and Toby.

"Somewhere far away from there."

"So, just start walking then?" Nye suggested, absently tickling Lydia's side. The ravenette squirmed and giggled, making Nye straighten up in success.

Abraham shared a silent look with Rosita and Eugene. Choosing to wait just a little longer before sharing the news about DC.

Much to the boys' dismay, Nye didn't put Lydia down once they started walking. She kept the girl in her hold, instead of taking her sons' hands again.

Mason glowered at the girl, falling in line with Daryl. After a beat, Toby started walking with the redneck and his brother too.

It stung when she didn't even say anything about it. Smiling down and whispering reassuring words to the newest member of the group. It was like once Lydia was in the picture, they became invisible.

Of course, in actuality Nye was hoping to give Mason and Toby a bit of space, since they had been walking hand-in-hand ever since meeting back up. And Lydia probably needed the attention more than they did, what with all the new people, which might be overwhelming for her.

Mason looked back, wincing at a sharp pain in his chest, when he saw Nye lost in her own little world with Lydia.

They were gone too long. That had to be it.

They were gone, and she replaced them.


	39. Overload

**To answer the lovely** **Cleo9427, I've kept their ages** **vague recently on purpose. We all know the timeline is totally fucked, and AMC didn't really give a crap about keeping up with things like** **, you know, _continuity._ But anyway, at this point in the series, we can barely tell what ages Carl and Judith are at, so to make thing easier for me personally, I've slowly started keeping Mason and Toby's ages like Carl's, as in, none of us have any solid clue on how old they are/how much time has passed since the world ended. So let's just say, they're somwhere between thirteen, to fifteen.**

* * *

"Okay, so," Nye took a deep breath. "Abraham Ford. Rosita Espinosa. Eugene Porter. And Tara Chambler?"

Tara nodded, lips pulled into a tense, and for whatever reason, guilty smile. "Yep. Spot on."

"Nice." She hummed, cradling Lydia gently while the girl napped. "I'm Ny-" She hesitated, eyes going distant, before hardening. "I'm Niagara Conner."

Toby's brows went up. "Full name right out of the gate, huh?"

She shrugged. "Just trying something new." But then took a double-take at Toby, only just noticing something. "Whoa, your _hair_. Next time I find scissors, I'm giving you a trim buddy."

Toby flinched visibly at the word 'scissors', continuing on walking beside Mason as he pretended to chuckle.

Lydia whined almost inaudibly, as she started waking up.

Nye gave a playful bounce in her step. "Rise and shine Pup."

The excitement of the day had drained the girl, leading her to fall asleep. Nye was hopeful that Lydia would still be able to sleep at night, something that was fast approaching.

Mason shook his head, scoffing. "Pup?"

Daryl gave a curious glance at Mason, having easily noticed the teen's sour mood.

Toby caught the glance, and mouthed 'jealous' Daryl's way.

The hunter nodded slowly in understanding, having thought that he saw Mason giving side-eyed glares at the girl, but he wasn't positive until now.

"So who found who?" Carol asked, looking around at everyone. People were already walking in clusters, like Nye, her three kids (the boys at a slight distance however), and Daryl. Rick, Michonne, and Carl who was happily holding Judith. Tyreese, Sasha, and Bob. Maggie, Glenn, Carol herself, with Tara dragging behind them. Then there was Abraham's team with Rosita, and Eugene.

"I was with Michonne. Then we found Carl and Rick." Toby was the first to answer.

"I was with Beth." Daryl quietly started, then nodded at Toby. "And ran into them."

"I saved Glenn at the prison." Mason proudly stated, arms behind his head, as he made his voice a few octaves deeper, watching Rosita. "Then we met Tara. Then we met Abe's group."

"I found Jude." Nye started softly, conscious and sheepish of the gratitude that had been rolling off of Rick in waves. "Then found Samson, who led me to Lydia."

The girl in question gave a meek tug on Nye's shirt, silently letting the woman know she wanted down.

Rick, who had been leading the caravan of people, stopped and glanced around.

"I think here's as good a place as any." He shrugged off his duffle bag. "I say we set up for the night."

"I'll start a fire." Glenn pitched in, hand-in-hand with Maggie as they split off to get firewood.

As everyone moved to do something useful, Rosita looked to Abraham questioningly.

He gave a single nod. It was time to tell them.

...

"A cure?"

Nye's mouth was dry, heart racing as she forced the two words from her breathless throat.

Abraham gave them all a sturdy nod, making direct eye-contact with everyone individually. The fire crackled as he stood over it, the orange light dancing over his imposing figure.

"That's right. And all we need to do to end this shitstorm, is get Eugene to Washington."

Everyone but Rick, Daryl, Carol, Tyreese, Nye, and Lydia had heard the story already, either on the way to Terminus, or in the train car they had been trapped in.

Mason rocked back on the stump he was sitting on, watching his mother carefully. "What do you guys say?"

He was hopeful they wouldn't have to part ways with Rosita, Abraham, and Eugene.

Rick rubbed his chin, Judith bouncing innocently on his lap. "Sounds a little unbelievable."

"Well believe it." Abraham barked, before forcefully releasing some of the built up tension in his body. "Whether you think it's possible or not, there's no harm in coming with us."

Rick nodded thoughtfully, seeming to be considering it.

"I'll think about it."

Abraham hated it, but he respected Rick's choice, and dropped the subject for now.

After it was clear Abraham was done telling them the plan for Washington, Daryl stood.

"'m gonna keep watch."

Nye perked up, moving to stand. "I'll come with-"

"Nah," He immediately shot down, looking somewhat uncomfortable. "I got it."

Nye sat back, small frown on her face. "Oh, okay. Be safe."

Instead of his usual "Always am." he only nodded.

Nye's frown only deepened when Carol followed him, despite him just telling the brunette that he was fine alone.

Jealousy was something she was very familiar with, but it wasn't something she had ever felt towards Carol. Until now, that is.

...

"Razzmatazz!"

Following the overly cheerful shout, Nye ducked her head and gave Judith a raspberry on her stomach, causing the baby to giggle uncontrollably. It was a sufficient distraction while Rick worked on making a bottle.

"We're out of formula." He noted lowly.

Nye came up from her raspberry. "Don't worry, there's jarred shit in the other bag."

Judith batted at her face, making Nye take a dramatic breath, and go back in for another raspberry.

Rustling in the bushes brought up all of their guns, as they stood on guard at the noise.

Daryl stepped out, a rope of dead squirrels hanging over his neck. After being met with the muzzles of half a dozen rifles and handguns, he jokingly raised his hands up. "We surrender."

Nye smiled, cheeks rosy as she watched him walk beside and talk with Rick.

He was seeming to have a larger effect on her, ever since she noted what it was she felt for him. He didn't even have to be talking to her personally to get her flustered.

"Hot potato." Nye droned, depositing Judith on the unsuspecting Grimes next to her.

Carl sighed as she was dropped in his arms, but grinned anyway as Judith's focus immediately shifted to him.

"You doing okay?"

Looking to her right, Nye jumped dimly when Glenn was there, out of nowhere.

"Yeah, why?"

He shrugged nonchalantly, but there was a growing smirk on his face. "No reason. It's just, you've been watching someone pretty closely. I was wondering if anything happened."

Nye blinked, raising a brow. "Well yeah, Lydia's new, and I don't want you weirdos scaring her away. Ya dingus."

Glenn opened his mouth, but deflated and blew out a sigh. "You- I just- You're so impossible." He shook his head sadly.

Nye reared back, scoffing affrontedly. "What? What did I even-"

Lydia ran from the front, and over to the brunette, taking her hand and burying her face shyly into Nye's hip. In her free hand, Lydia held the felt duck in a crushing hold.

Brushing a hand through the raven hair, Nye hummed in concern.

"Overload?"

Lydia peeked up, looking innocently confused. "What's that mean?"

"It means too much is going on, and it starts to be stressful." Glenn helpfully supplied, tone soft and patient.

Lydia took a second to think about the new word, before looking back up at Nye.

"Overload." She nodded sturdily.

Nye sighed, feeling guilty for thrusting her into such a new environment and dynamic. But before she could try to comfort the girl in any way, something snagged everyone's attention.

"Help! Help!"

Lydia's hands knotted into her red flannel, the ravenette not having any intention of letting Nye go without a fight.

"Help, anybody! Help!"

When Rick made no move to help the mystery caller, Carl turned to him desperately. "Dad, come on."

The man continued screaming.

" _Come on_! Come on."

Rick finally relented, charging ahead and leading them to the caller.

Lydia had to stop dragging her feet, as Nye was basically carrying her to move, not effected by the girl's weight at all.

"Anyone, help! Help!"

Reaching a small clearing, wherein sat a huge boulder, they saw a man sitting atop it, screaming for assistance as four Walker tried grabbing at his legs to pull him down.

It only took Nye a few seconds to recognize him as a father. The church kind, that is.

"Gotta be kiddin'." She grumbled, southern accent slipping as she lazily shot down one of the Walkers with her crossbow.

She entirely missed the look on Daryl's face when she hit it right through the eye.

The Walkers were silenced quickly, leaving them surrounding the boulder, eyeing the new guy edgily.

"We're clear. Keep watch." Rick looked up at the guy, face expectant. "Come on down."

The man nodded, scrambling down the large rock like a frightened fawn, his limbs shaky and uncoordinated. Once down, he pursed his lips, face going a shade lighter.

"You okay?" Rick asked, not too overly concerned.

The man raised a finger, and proceeded to vomit.

Nye grimaced, rolling her eyes at the pathetic display. How whoever this was, was still breathing, she had no clue.

"Sorry." He spoke in a somewhat dainty sounding voice, grinning sheepishly at all of them while he wiped his mouth. "Thank you. I'm Gabriel."

The crease between Nye's brows wrinkled as she scowled heavily in offense at the universe.

 _You gave us a father. A father named_ Gabriel. _You cheeky son of a-_

"Do you have any weapons on you?" Rick asked authoritatively.

Gabriel chuckled weakly, twitching nervously. "Do I look like I would have any weapons?"

"We don't give two short and curlies what it looks like." Abraham barked.

He was growing on the goggle wearing brunette.

"I have no weapons of any kind." Gabriel told them, sounding too suspicious for his own good. "The word of God is the only protection I need."

"Sure didn't look like it." Daryl remarked. Nye scoffed along.

"I called for help." He looked around at them, with a jittery shrug. "Help came."

A nudge made Nye glance to her right. She was met with Mason, miming circles to the side of his head, silently broadcasting what they were all thinking.

This guy was crazy. Had to be.

"Do you have-have any food?" Gabriel asked nervously. "Whatever I-I had left, it just hit the ground."

Then, proving to be better than any of them deserved, Carl held out a hand to him. "We've got some pecans."

Gabriel smiled shakily, taking the offered nuts. "Thank you."

Cooing from Judith made the baby's presence known, and Gabriel gave a more genuine smile at the sight of her.

"That's a beautiful child."

Nye tensed, along with everyone else. Toby, ever the one to try and see the good, gently took his mother's hand, in an attempt to calm her before she did something recklessly overprotective.

"Do you have a camp?"

"No. Do _you_?"

Gabriel hesitated, looking around at the group guardedly. "I-I have a church."

"Hold your hands above your head." Rick ordered, tired of the father's bullshit.

Gabriel nervously followed instruction, as Rick started patting him down.

"How many Walkers have you killed?"

"Not any, actually."

"Turn around. How many people have you killed?"

Gabriel blinked in shock. "None." He said firmly, for the first time.

Rick stepped back, sure that Gabriel had told the truth, and was indeed weaponless. "Why?"

Gabriel looked at him in veiled offense, as if it shouldn't have even been a question. "Because the Lord abhors violence."

Nye stared, jaw locked to keep from dropping. Not even Sophia had been this naive.

Rick got in his face, clearly done with whatever act Gabriel seemed to be putting on. "What have you done? We've all done something."

Gabriel swallowed, but didn't back down away from the threatening sheriff. "I'm a sinner. I sin almost every day." He admitted ashamedly. "But those sins, I confess them to God, not strangers."

"You said you had a church?" Michonne prompted.

Gabriel gave one last glance around at them, and offered a hesitant nod.

...

Nye didn't have anything against religion. She wanted that to be clear. It wasn't religion that made her skin crawl, but rather the people who took it just a step too far.

At Elise's funeral, the amount of times she, a child, had been given a pat on the shoulder, and told "This is just God's plan." was unbelievable. Even at such a young age, she couldn't help but scoff at the idea.

Was it God's plan for Beverley to be manipulated into sex? Was it his plan for her to die right after labor? What about the abuse Nye suffered after Elise's passing? Or Shepherd being beaten to death by his guardian's boyfriend? Were the scars marring her body part of that plan too?

In some way, Nye did believe that there had to be some bigger picture. Whether that was God or something else, she didn't know. But either way, she definitely didn't think there was any suffering in the world, that should be chalked up to some otherworldly plan.

Shit happens. And we have to deal with it. _That_ was all Nye was sure about.

And as they walked up to the church, covered in blood and haunted by memories, it didn't feel like a place that should still exist in the new world.

It was white, strikingly so, and Nye had to blink rapidly as the brightness paired with the sunlight made her eyes burn.

Inside, it was dusty, but still lived in. The pews looking like they hadn't been used in years, which they likely hadn't if Gabriel was telling the truth.

While they were all checking the place out, making sure there wouldn't be an ambush, Nye stopped in front of something hanging on the wall.

She shook her head faintly at the wooden statue of Jesus. Feeling Daryl come up next to her, she elbowed him playfully.

"Hey, you think he's taking requests?"

Daryl snorted, shaking his head at her as he moved on to continue looking around.

After clearing the place, Rick whistled and called everyone back outside.

"I spent months here without stepping out the front door. If you found someone inside, well, it would have been surprising." Gabriel chuckled.

Carl smiled at him, bouncing Judith. "Thanks for this."

"We found a short bus out back." Abraham informed Rick. "It don't run, but I bet we could fix that in less than a day or two. Father here says he doesn't want it. Looks like we found ourselves some transport."

Nye eagerly raised a hand. "I can help fix it up. I made myself kickass van out of junkyard scraps before everything went to shit. I'm good with cars."

Abraham nodded thankfully, glad Nye was on his side. "You understand what's at stake here, right?" He asked Rick.

"Yes, I do."

"Now that we can take a breath-"

"We take a breath, we slow down, shit inevitably goes down." Abraham cut off Michonne.

Nye had to agree with that. But the problem was, they just weren't stocked for a trip anywhere, let alone Washington.

"We need supplies no matter what we do next." Michonne argued.

"That's right." Rick sided with her. "Water, food, ammunition."

With an inquiring look at Michonne, Nye wondered if something was going on between the sheriff and swordswoman.

"Short bus ain't goin' nowhere. We'll bring you back some baked beans." Daryl jibed, as he and the rest filed back into the church.

Once inside, Lydia split off from everyone, taking Samson with her. Before the brunette could go and check up on the girl, Mason pounced.

"Hey," He called as he leaned over the back of a pew. "So where'd you get that button?"

She leaned against the pew as well, shrugging questioningly. "What button?"

Mason looked leadingly down at the collar of the red flannel she had on over a grey t-shirt.

Glancing down, Nye flushed.

 **Badass Nurse.**

A fairly silly smile broke out on her face, as she touched the button fondly.

"Um, it-"

"Daryl?"

"What? How'd you-"

"You look like a tomato, Mom. A lesbian tomato."

And of course, that's what she got for wearing flannel.

Nye grumbled something incoherent, and slapped the bill of his cap down over his face. "Where's your brother anyway? He doesn't tease me, maybe I should hang out with him."

Mason narrowed his eyes irritably. "He went off to try and _bond_ with Lydia."

Nye perked up, choosing to ignore his tone. "That's great! She needs to get used to us, and that won't happen unless an effort's made."

Mason sighed through his nose, looking off to the side. "Yeah, whatever."

The fresh good mood, deflated, as Nye frowned down at him in disappointment.

She wasn't blind. And she wasn't stupid either. She knew something was up, and to an extent could understand where the annoyance was coming from.

But Mason was old enough to be more mature than this.

...

Rick, Michonne, Sasha, Bob, and Gabriel went out on a run, to the only place that Gabriel hadn't raided yet. And Glenn, Maggie, and Tara left to look for guns. As they headed out the door, it was suggested that someone go to get water from a nearby stream.

After Daryl offered to go, Nye quickly threw out an offer as well.

But to her dismay, and jealousy, she was turned down in favor of Carol.

Once the three teams were gone, the church seemed much quieter for some reason. Even though no one was being particularly loud in the first place.

Nye was sitting on one of the pews, brushing Lydia's hair, when she noticed the ravenette's attention was elsewhere. When investigating, she found that Lydia was watching Carl play with Judith.

Lightly tugging on a strand of hair to grab the girl's focus, Nye gestured over to Carl. "Why don't you say 'hi'? I'm sure he'd like you."

Lydia tensely leaned back into Nye's front. "...don't know him."

"You didn't know me either."

Lydia didn't have a reply to that.

"And I bet Judes misses you."

Lydia pouted down at her duck, then built up the courage to stand up off of the pew.

Nye grinned, tucking her legs up and resting her chin on them, as she watched Lydia meander over to Carl, and hesitantly sat down next to him.

Of course, Carl beamed at her disarmingly, moving Judith to sit between the two, all while she gummed on the pink elephant plushie, making a large patch wet.

Sighing in relief as Lydia seemed to relax, Nye got up, deciding to find something useful to do.

And that's how she found herself in the nearly pristine bathroom, holding a pair of scissors.

Proud of the find, Nye turned to go out the door and find Toby, but her goggles glinted from some sunlight peeking through the window, catching her eye in the mirror.

Once actually taking a good look at herself, Nye felt a foreign feeling fill her. And it took a second to identify it as self-consciousness.

It felt like, as soon as she took note that she was having romantic feelings for Daryl, she was suddenly extra conscious of the things she hadn't ever even thought about before.

One of those things being, was her hair too long?

It was ridiculous to get hung up on it, but the longer she looked at her tangled, dirty mess of a mane, the more she convinced herself to do something about it.

And besides, long hair was dangerous anyway. It could get grabbed by both the dead and living, so cutting it would be the smart thing to do, right?

Her goggles came off, set aside on the edge of the sink. With a snip, the first lock of hair fell, and with it, Nye's tension ebbed away somewhat.

A steady stream of hair continued falling down, and by the time she was done, the sink was covered in matted hazel hair.

Setting down the scissors, Nye stepped back and looked at herself fully.

Once the hazel locks had reached below her shoulder-blades, but now they only reached mid-neck, not even able to graze her shoulders.

It was moments like these, that she was glad she used to cut her own hair, because she was admittedly very proud of how it turned out.

"Daryl and Carol are back." Toby called, then stepped through the bathroom door. He flinched at the scissors on the sink, but they were quickly forgotten as he looked up and saw her. "Whoa, you cut your hair."

"Thanks captain obvious," She remarked, flicking him in the forehead. "I hadn't noticed."

Toby rolled his eyes, slapping her hand away. "Ha ha, you're hilarious."

"Thanks sweetie." Nye trilled, giving him a peck on the cheek as she breezed by.

...

"You're avoiding her."

He scoffed, looking out to the woods on his left. "I ain't-"

"You're avoiding her," Carol repeated, sternly as she carried two gallons of water. "and you're not being subtle about it. She'll catch on, if she already hasn't."

Daryl bit his lip, kicking a stray pebble while he carried the other two jugs of water. "Just... I just need space." He murmured.

Carol relaxed slightly. "Okay. But I would've assumed being separated from everyone was enough space for awhile."

Daryl inhaled deeply, keeping his head low. "Yeah. But I thought she was dead."

Carol jolted. "Really? The attack on the prison was bad, but she's seen worse-"

"Beth said she was gone."

Carol stopped, swallowing down whatever she had planned on saying. "Oh." That's when she remembered Nye mentioning how she got shot in front of the blonde. Beth must've really thought it was a fatal wound, otherwise she never would have told the redneck such grim news.

"Now," Daryl sighed. "She's here. Alive, an' it's just-"

"Too much." Carol finished softly.

Daryl nodded. "And I can't even look at her without-" He cut himself off, biting his tongue as his face flushed.

Carol couldn't help but smile. Because it was pretty clear what he wanted to say, but didn't have the strength to.

 _"I can't even look at her without her taking my breath away."_

"Talk to her." Carol encouraged. "Let her know that you're happy she's alive. Maybe it'll help if you two just sit down and _talk_."

Daryl shot her a disbelieving look, to which she shrugged.

"I just think, you should air things out between each other. Because incase you didn't notice, our group just got bigger, and that means there's people who don't know she's off limits yet." Carol teased.

"Ain't off limits." He muttered grumpily, but the look on his face made it abundantly clear that he had already acknowledged the fact that someone could very easily make a move on the brunette.

Tara, for instance, put him seriously on edge.

Carol looked at him, unimpressed. "Sure, try telling that to Ethan."

Ethan was a citizen of Woodbury, who had been smitten with Nye from the start. And he tried flirting with her several times, all of which went right over Nye's head. And when Ethan chose to straight up ask her out, Daryl may or may not have sent a very threatening glare his way. The poor guy had only gotten a couple words out, before catching Daryl's glare, and hightailing it out of there.

Nye was none the wiser.

"Ethan was a prick." Daryl grumbled defensively.

"And Nye's a grown woman who can determine that for herself." Carol chided, staring at him in motherly authority. "So, either say something to her, or let her get close to someone else. You're not her guard dog."

Daryl didn't say anything, stepping up to the door of the church, and kicking it lightly to let them know he and Carol were back.

Carl opened it, letting them through before closing the door back up behind them.

Mason's head appeared from the pews, having been laid back across one until he heard their return. "Mission success?"

Carol held up her gallons.

"Dope." He dropped back down.

"Ah nice, you guys rock." Nye cheered as she walked in, parting her hair back the way she liked it.

When Daryl turned to her, at the sound of her voice, he felt his chest seize up.

"You cut your hair." Carol said in surprise, glancing at Daryl to see his reaction.

She had to stifle a laugh, as Daryl's face proceeded to turn redder every second that ticked by.

He liked short hair, apparently.

Nye teasingly groaned. "I found scissors, and I was bored, not much to it." Catching the redneck's complexion, she hummed in concern. "Are you okay? You look hot."

Everyone watched as Daryl jerked, nodding tensely, then walked away further into the church.

Carol had to bite down on both lips to contain her mirth, as Nye obliviously shook her head in confusion.

Toby sat down next to Mason's head, reclining back and staring up at the high ceiling thoughtfully.

"It's like watching a teen rom-com."

Mason nodded slowly, eyes half-lidded in exasperation. "Where literally everybody knows they'll get together, but them."

"And it takes the whole friggin' movie."

"Or, a whole dozen seasons, if we're talking about TV shows."

Toby's eyes widened in horror. "Oh my God, could you imagine? If this was a show, it would probably take them, like, two more seasons of stupid pining."

Mason scoffed. "Two? We'd be lucky with two. God, why are we already so much better than them at love 'n shit?"

Toby chuckled. "Yeah, we-"

"Hey, dipsticks, get up and do something useful." Rosita called to them.

Mason scrambled off of the pew, landing on his side roughly, before rolling and shooting to his feet. He gave her a mock salute, deepening his voice. "Yes ma'am."

Toby gaped, losing almost all respect for his brother, as the curly haired teen dashed after Rosita like a lost puppy.

"Unbelievable."

A body sat down next to him, and when he looked, Toby found Eugene had taken Mason's spot.

"Your friends ditch you too?" Toby asked glumly, sagging down.

Eugene opened his mouth, then sagged similarly to Toby. "It would seem that despite my intelligence and best efforts, my skills will not be needed to fix the vehicle."

"So, Abraham told you to scram, because you were in the way?" Toby summed up.

Eugene didn't reply, which was answer enough for Toby.


	40. A message

**Been dealing with personal issues, sorry for the delay.**

* * *

There were two slaps on the side of the bus. "Start her up!"

Nye turned the key, the engine revving, only to sputter out.

"Son of a bitch!" Abraham raged, hitting the bus again, this time out of frustration.

Nye leaned out the window, watching him fiddle around with the undercarriage while on his back. "Dude, you gotta calm down. We're not gonna get anywhere if you just keep punching things."

There was a deep sigh, and Abraham pulled himself up and out from under the vehicle. "I know that, Shorty."

Nye jumped, face falling and eyes turning frosty. "Don't call me that."

 _"You're somethin' else, Shorty."_

 _"...Niagara."_

 _"Hmm?"_

 _"My name's Niagara."_

Nye clenched her jaw, dropping back into her seat.

It still hurt. Even after so many months, it still hurt to have lost Merle. The Merle who Daryl could be proud of.

Glenn's team, and Rick's both got back around the same time. Bringing with them three silencers, and two full trolleys of food, respectively.

The sight of so many supplies, had even Lydia smiling giddily.

And as night fell, many of the cans were opened, and heated over a campfire outside.

Samson was thrown a proverbial bone, and was given a good portion of food that they could spare, which he scarfed down before disappearing somewhere to take a nap.

The church was dim, but everyone inside was chatting merrily, as if it was midday, and not closer to midnight.

Plates were made, laughs were shared, and for the first time since the prison, Nye felt truly at home.

For a short while, as Maggie was waiting for Glenn to finish filling his plate, she stood behind where Nye sat, brushing the shorter brunette's hair with her fingers as she offhandedly complemented the job Nye did.

The contact made her realize just how touched-starved she was, nearly turning into putty in Maggie's hands until she left to sit with Glenn.

On Nye's left was Toby, then Mason, and on her right, was Lydia at the end of the pew. Some new things were still stumping the ravenette, which was obvious as she barely got anything put on her plate.

"Here. But don't go overboard, like with the soup." Nye softly chided as she slid most of her food onto Lydia's plate.

"Mom, you gotta eat." Toby chastised. Mason leaned over, looking past his brother and nodded emphatically.

Standing, she rolled her eyes and made a show of walking over to the table lined with beans, rice, and other canned goods. As she refilled the paper plate, looking out over the church, she melted as she witnessed Judith clumsily hand-feeding Rick.

As soon as she was seated back between her kids, Abraham chose to say his piece, raising and getting everyone's attention by tapping on a glass.

The church quieted, curious looks were sent his way, but otherwise it was silent.

"I'd like to propose a toast." He started, smiling in a sincere way that Nye hadn't seen up until now. "I look around this room and I see survivors. Each and every one of you has earned that title."

Nye looked down, blinking at the hardwood floor, as the memory of bleeding out in an empty warehouse filled her head. The cold seeping in, as her blood seeped out. She was a surviver alright, but she most definitely wouldn't be, if it weren't for those in the room, and some who they had lost.

Abraham held up his glass of wine. "To the survivors."

" **Survivors!** "

" **Cheers!** "

"Boo-yah." Nye whispered under her breath right before sipping her wine.

"Is that all you want to be?" Abraham said, once everyone had stopped cheering. His tone so much more serious now. "Wake up in the morning, fight the undead pricks, forage for food, go to sleep at night with two eyes open, rinse and repeat? 'Cause you can do that." He shrugged. "I mean, you got the strength. You got the skill. Thing is, for you people, for what you can do, that's just surrender."

Toby's hand slid into hers, and Lydia slumped against her side, blinking tiredly, but staying awake to listen to what Abraham had to say. Mason's arm fell over the back of the pew, resting on Toby and Nye's shoulders.

"Now, we get Eugene to Washington and he will make the dead _die_ and the _living_ will have this world again. And that is not a bad takeaway for a little road trip." He spoke with finality.

A chill raced through her, as Nye hung onto every word. She had never hoped for something to be true, so dearly.

When nobody said anything, lost in thought at his proposal, Abraham took advantage of still having most of their focus, turning to his comrade. "Eugene, what's in DC?"

Eugene stiffened, twitching faintly, then swallowed. "Infrastructure constructed to withstand pandemics even of this fubar magnitude. That means food, fuel, refuge. Restart."

Out of the corner of her eye, Nye saw Toby and Mason share a painfully hopeful look.

Restart. With that one word, brought countless possibilities. Like late night movies on the weekends, or three consistent meals a day, things that used to be common place, and average, were now like winning the lottery. And the one idea that shook Nye to her core, was something that would never be taken for granted again.

Mason and Toby could live in a house again. They could wake up in their own beds, brush their teeth, eat breakfast, God, maybe even go to school. They could live normal lives again, the ones that she once thought were gone forever.

Her right arm wrapped tightly around the tiny ravenette at her side.

And that meant Lydia would get a second chance too.

"However this plays out, however long it takes for the reset button to kick in, you can be safe there." Abraham promised. "Safer than you've been since this whole thing started. Come with us." He whispered, but still sounded clear as day in the hush of the church. "Save the world for that little one." He glanced from Judith, to the kids at Nye's sides. " _All_ the little ones. Save it for yourselves. Save it for the people out there who don't got nothing left to do except survive."

Wine glass now empty, Nye wasn't sure if her misty eyes were influenced any by the alcohol, or if Abraham was just that good at speeches.

Judith cood, head swivelling around, until she stopped and entered a staring contest with Rick. The former sheriff chuckled, playing with her tiny hands. "What was that?" He jokingly asked, voice light with the universal tone of baby-talk. "I think she knows what I'm about to say." He turned his head, nodding casually at Abraham. "She's in. If she's in, I'm in. _We're in_."

Michonne, who was on the floor next to him, sighed in fierce relief, her chest caving as she let out the air she had been subconsciously holding in.

Nye closed her eyes, resting her head back on the pew, as she grinned widely.

At some point, Daryl and Carol had slipped out of the church undetected. But when Bob snuck away out the door, it was noticed.

With a kiss to all three kids' foreheads, Nye stood up and set her plate and glass down. "I'll be right back."

Mason withheld from grabbing her wrist to stop her. "Famous last words."

"Especially from you." Toby tacked on anxiously.

Lydia, not liking what the boys were implying, hugged her duck tighter and stared up at Nye with wide eyes. "Don't go."

Exasperated, but also touched, Nye tried reassuring them. "I'll be gone for, like, ten minutes, tops."

"That's ten minutes too long." Mason deadpanned.

But Nye was already headed for the door.

When stepping outside, she huffed a concerned sigh as she spotted Bob disappearing into the woods.

"Bob." Nye called softly, not wanting to draw attention from anyone inside the church. After stumbling down the steps, she was surprised with just how tipsy she was. Her alcohol tolerance used to be decent, and now she was a mess after only one glass of wine.

Bob didn't say anything to her, as he marched further into the woods, while she tailed him.

"Hey, hey, talk to me." She slurred when he came to a stop.

He refused to look at her at first, watching some of the group they could spot from a window. In the beginning, he was smiling faintly at them, seemingly happy. But it all crumbled in seconds, as his shoulders caved inward and he started sobbing.

It was freaking Nye out, like it would have to anyone, but that didn't hinder the urge to comfort above finding out what was wrong.

Taking careful steps, to avoid tripping and making him feel worse, Nye snaked her arms around his frame, rubbing soothing circles into his back.

Bob didn't stop crying, in fact it picked up a little, but he slumped onto her in the form of a hug, as he let her take his weight for a moment, almost like he couldn't even hold himself up anymore.

Nye didn't pester him about what was wrong, fearing it could make things worse. Instead she swayed them both, humming an old Disney tune she couldn't remember the name of. Her eyes closed, and she tiredly rested her chin on his shaking shoulder, the wine was making her so exhausted.

Maybe if she hadn't drank, or maybe if she had listened to her kids, things would have gone better for her that night.

Behind Bob, a hunched figure stepped quietly out of the thick trees that went further into the woods. With a baseball bat in hand, the figure reached a hand up, and swung it back down.

With a crack, Bob fell onto Nye completely. With a shocked gasp, she tried holding him up, but his weight was too heavy. She winced as he hit the ground, while she stumbled clumsily from the sudden disappearance of him on her.

Blinking in intoxicated confusion, Nye looked up, and stilled.

The bat was in the air again, and before she could scream, it came down on her.

The only thing she felt before falling unconscious, was something sharp digging into the right side of her forehead, following the crack of glass.

...

 _Nye didn't smoke. Never cared for the feeling of it, even though she adored the nostalgic smell of them. But there were sometimes when she wished she smoked, at least to seem cooler._

 _Panting, flushed and shining with sweat, Nye regretted the fact she couldn't light a cigarette, to try to seem calm about the situation. The thing was, though, she was a bundle of fraying nerves, ready to unravel._

 _"That was fun." Mable whispered in the dark room, seeming at a loss, just like Nye._

 _Nye hummed in agreement, if only to save face that she knew what she was doing, even if she literally just lost her virginity._

 _Mable, with her blue eyes that matched so well with her blonde hair, glanced over at Nye a bit guardedly. "You won't... tell anyone, would-"_

 _Nye was already shaking her head. "No way, don't worry about it, it's between us."_

 _"Oh." Mable mumbled, sounding somewhat disappointed. And before Nye could even ponder on that, she turned on her side, facing Nye as the sheet pooled around her naked body. "But, what if... I wanted people to know?"_

 _Holding her own half of the sheet, Nye held it securely to her chest, even though Mable had already seen her in her entirety. "I, well, um..."_

 _The truth was, Nye was so scrared of the repercussions of that night. People got more accepting every day, but that didn't take away the lingering fear of the ones who hadn't been able to get past their prejudice. The ones who you would see on the news for hate crimes._

 _"We don't have to say anything, I was just- I, was thinking..." Mable backpedalled._

 _Nye frowned guiltily, silently looking around the room's floor to locate her clothes incase she needed a quick getaway. "Sorry. I'm just not ready, I guess."_

 _Mable nodded understandingly, her eyes never straying to Nye's right arm, while Nye's never lingered on the thin scars littering Mable's thighs._

 _"What do the gears mean?"_

 _Lost in thought, Nye jumped and put a hand over where her two small gears were, sitting under her left breast. It was clear Mable just wanted to change the subject, and that was all she could come up with._

 _"They're just, supposed to look cool." Nye brushed off, staring off into space as she traced the tattoo over the sheet._

 _The truth was, the worn out, rusted looking gear, represented Nye herself, while the one under it, shiny and new, represented Shepherd. And in the years to come, two more gears would be added to the first two, all of them in different designs, but all lining up for the same purpose. They all kept the rusted one turning._

 _Shepherd, Mason, and Toby became her strongest supporters in life, so it only made sense, that they were her gears. They kept her running._

 _And knees deep into the apocalypse, Nye wished she was able to find a tattoo gun, so she could add a couple more in there._

 _Smiling the most sincere one since the previous night's party, Nye boldly took Mable's hand, giving it a squeeze._

 _"You wanna, just, stay in bed for now?"_

 _Mable's joyful grin and nod finally eased the tension in Nye's chest._

 _Paul was probably going to have a fit about her not being back at the apartment at the discussed time, but she had a feeling when he found out her reasoning, he'd be too distracted teasing her to be mad._

...

Something was in her mouth, tasting like dirt and something she couldn't and didn't want to identify. She was laying on her front, her arms wrenched back behind her, with her wrists bound to her ankles, keeping her in a painfully uncomfortable position.

Squinting her eyes open, Nye rolled her jaw and chewed experimentally on the gag in her mouth. It was still late into the night, but over to her left there was a large campfire, with several silhouettes sitting around it.

Something sickeningly familiar wafted through the air, the smell of it causing Nye's hair to stand on end.

"Nice of you to finally join us."

Nye winced, scraping the right side of her face across the ground, to look up at who had spoken.

He looked around her age, with short hair and stubble. His eyes could have been classified as pretty, if not for the soulless look to them.

But her attention diverted from him, as she spotted Bob tied up, and leaning on a tree. He was shaking, forehead lined with sweat while he gazed downwards.

Slowly, her green eyes sunk lower, tracking what he was staring at so intently. With a lurch, feeling as if the ground came out from under her, she saw Bob's left leg, from the knee down, was gone.

Her breathing picked up, nostrils flaring as her nose had to do most of the work with the gag still hindering her mouth.

And when the stranger, Gareth if she were to guess, who was crouched down next to her, casually took a bite of a piece of meat, Bob whimpered.

The familiar smell. Bob's missing leg. The strange looking meat. The group's refusal to talk about the horrors they saw in Terminus. It all added up.

Nye swallowed, leaving her mouth exceptionally dry. Gareth chewed thoughtfully as he stood up, looking down on her with close to nothing in his expression. The one thing Nye could pick up on, was a quiet hatred.

"Martin was just telling us about you."

 _Martin?_ Nye's brows furrowed, thoughts immediately going to her father. _What is he-_

Over by the fire, a silhouette sat straighter, glaring at her with one eye swollen shut.

She bit back a growl, enough anger filling her that it balanced out the fear, for a moment.

Tyreese had lied. He let the Termite they had captured go, instead of killing him.

It explained why Lydia didn't want to talk about what happened in the shack while Nye and Carol were off destroying Terminus. The girl probably didn't want to stir up trouble, so she kept quiet.

Gareth saw the glare, and chuckled.

"You know, we marked our way here so that we could find our way back after." He said conversationally, looking between her and Bob, who was silently crying. "So stupid, right? I mean back to what?" Gareth shook his head, taking another bite of Bob. "It wasn't just a trap. It was gonna be a choice. You join us _or_ feed us."

That confirmed it. Nye gagged with a shudder.

"You know bears when they start to starve, they eat their young. If the bear dies, the cub dies anyway. But if the bear _lives_ , it can always have another cub."

You could tell that he truly believed he was in his right mind, and that was something that scared her deeply.

"That was part of the pitch." He shrugged. "You know, Greg and Mike came _this_ close to nabbing that grey-haired queen bitch who helped kill my mom." Gareth spat, giving a sidelong stare at Nye.

Nye's sweat lined forehead scrunched up, as she was overcome with concern for Carol.

"She drove away with the archer. Greg saw them pull away." He grinded his teeth, looking off into the woods. "Can't wait to try her."

Nye closed her eyes, pushing her face further into the dirt as she wanted nothing more than to sink down and be sucked into the earth, disappearing. The subtle mention of Daryl not being safe at the church, was setting her nerves even more on edge.

"I like women better. Most of us do. My brother Alex has-" He stopped, taking a breath as he remembered. "Also currently dead because of _Rick_. He _had_ a theory that it was because of the extra layer of fat that women have, you know, for childbearing."

"Even the skinny girls have it." He gave a pointed look at Nye, then turned on Bob. "Like that pretty one, Sasha? I think pretty people taste better, too."

Bob didn't respond, hushed sobs wracking his chest.

Burning fury flared in Nye's chest, momentarily blinding her common sense.

"'eave 'im a'one!" She snarled through the gag, panting.

Gareth barely spared her a look, unamused, but not enough to care. "We're going to get all of them. But for starters, you'll do just fine. We did a good job on your leg."

All the while, Bob's crying grew louder.

"We've had practice." Gareth talked over him. "When we started, it was about making it slow."

Bob sobbed, drowning out the tail-end of Gareth's speech.

"Hey, I'm being a human being here." Gareth said in annoyance. "I'm talking to you. Perspective, Bob. You're above ground. At least you're better off than them." He nodded towards the school not twenty feet away, where Walkers were banging on glass, and groaning for the meal they could smell right outside.

Suddenly, in a total tone change, Bob's crying devolved into laughter.

"Well, he lost it." A Termite commented uncaringly.

"Lasted longer than I thought he would." Scoffed a female Termite.

"You-you idiots." Bob chuckled almost gleefully.

Gareth rolled his eyes, standing up from his spot next to Bob. "Okay, keep it down."

"I can shut him up." Martin suggested, all too eager.

With methodical hands, Bob reached up and jerked the collar of his shirt down.

A pit appeared in Nye's stomach, as she now stared at jagged flesh, and glistening blood.

"I've been _bitten_ , you stupid pricks! I'm tainted meat." Bob cackled, proudly brandishing his death certificate.

It was hard to breath around the gag, but Nye still couldn't get her lungs under control as she panted in shock.

Her shoulders and ankles were starting to hurt worse, and the confining feeling of rope around her right wrist, was triggering her into a panic fueled state. But it was all just buzzing in the back of her head, where she stored it in favor of digesting what Bob just revealed.

They had her hogtied. These monstrous freaks tied her up like cattle while she was forced to watch her friend fall into something resembling madness.

As Bob cackled, and the Termites began to spit out what they had been eating of him, Nye shivered in complete terror.

The world could be cured, but it would never be restored. Not now, when they reached the point that it came to eating each other to survive. No better than the Walkers themselves.

As blood trickled down her reopened gunshot, Nye closed her eyes, pressed her forehead into the dirt, and did something she hadn't done since Shepherd died.

She prayed. She prayed selfishly to make it out of the campsite alive, and prayed that Rick would give these monsters what they deserved.

Her eyes opened, as Gareth kicked her over onto her side, eyes blazing in quiet fury.

She blinked blankly up at him, tears unabashedly rolling down her face. Her fear was so strong, that she almost felt numb.

Gareth reached down, and ripped the gag from her mouth.

"Did you know he was bit?"

Nye closed her eyes again, more tears being pressed out as she couldn't bring herself to look at Bob.

"No." She whispered, eyelids cracking open to look at Gareth as her body shook. "No, I didn't."

Bob was gasping for breath between his cackling, and the Termites all looked horrified by their mistake.

Her head lolled back against the dirt, all will to fight leaving her, the fear too strong. Whatever was going to happen, would happen with or without her consent, which brought mind-bending despair to realize. The cracked glass of her goggles pressed into her forehead, cutting a fine line with the jagged end that was now sticking out.

"Let's just kill him now." Martin snapped.

"No, no, we need him." Gareth dictated.

"We might as well be eating one of them!" A Termite who looked like he was barely reaching eighteen said shrilly. "What the hell's gonna happen?! Are we gonna turn? Are we just gonna die?!"

"Albert, calm the hell down." Gareth barked. "We cooked him. Everything is gonna be fine."

The female Termite turned on Martin. "Why the hell didn't you check him first?!

"'Cause he was fine!" Martin shouted defensively.

"Tainted meat!" Bob was still chanting.

"Shut up."

"You eating tainted meat!"

"I said shut up!" Gareth finally lost his cool, yelling as he kicked Bob in the head, knocking him unconscious.

Nye jumped with a squeak as Bob slumped on the ground, unresponsive to anything.

The female Termite wasted no time, and gestured to Nye. "So what, is she bit too?"

Gareth panted, then turned his stare on the tied up brunette. "Well?" He kicked her over fully onto her back.

Nye blinked, skin crawling at the thought of having to converse with them. "N-no. I'm not."

Right after she said it, she regretted not lying in an attempt to save herself from Bob's fate.

The Termites all shared a look, minus Gareth. The woman of the group shrugged. "What are we waiting for?"

They made a move towards her, and surprisingly Gareth stopped them.

"Hold on."

"Why?" Martin demanded angrily. "You want us to check her, or-"

"We're not eating her yet." Gareth barked irritably.

"B-but, Martin said she helped kill-"

"I know. But I have a message I want to send to Rick, so I'm going to do it right."

His people were clearly confused. Because what message could he send, that Bob didn't already cover.

The thing was, though, most of his reasoning was simply the fact that he wanted some revenge for his mother.

"Albert, give me your switchblade."

"O-okay."

After being handed the knife, Gareth kneeled down at Nye's side, and forced the gag back in her mouth.

"This'll go faster for the both of us if you don't struggle."

The words alone made her blood run cold, but it was driven home when he started lifting her shirt up.

Nye instinctively thrashed, trying to get him off of her. But with her arms and legs immobilized, he easily kept her still by placing his weight somewhat on her.

He gave her the look of a tired parent who was done with their child's whining. "What did I _just_ say?"

"Really Gareth? Is now seriously the time for that?" A burly Termite questioned, but didn't move to intervene or look away.

Gareth rolled his eyes, pushing her shirt all the way to her collar bone, exposing her bra. "Get your mind out of the gutter." He glanced over her torso, looking for the best spot. Of course, he noticed her gears.

"Nice tattoo."

Nye snarled, bucking and trying to throw him off, to no avail.

"Good thing it's small." He continued, finally picking the expanse of her pale stomach. "Tattoos taste awful."

Then, without any warning, the blade slide across her skin like butter.

"You ever chew pens when you were a kid?" He asked as he sliced away, talking over her agonized muffled screams. He was so calm as he talked, you would have thought he was doing something like washing the dishes, or watching a boring TV show, not mutilating someone. "Well I did. And it was the absolute worst when it ruptured in your mouth. It'd stain your teeth black, and tasted terrible. Anyway, tattoos are kinda like someone just doused your food in pen ink."

Nye had her eyes screwed shut, head thrown back as hoarse moans fell from her mouth while Gareth finished up cutting into her.

"That should do it." He grunted as he stood, looking down at her stomach with a critical eye.

Maybe it was the blood loss, maybe it was the concussion throbbing in the back of her head, or maybe it was just the shock, but next thing she knew her ankles were cut free from her wrists and she was being carried away from their camp.

Gareth was the one dragging her along, and the worst part was how he was handling her.

He was carrying her bridal-style.

 _No._ Nye wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. _No, only Daryl can do that. Only Daryl can hold me like this._

Her vision was becoming unreliable, and she couldn't even build the strength to fight out of Gareth's grip.

Her stomach hurt, but not as bad as her heart did. Because she was still breathing, and so was Bob, but he wouldn't be for much longer.

Her head finally slumped down, blacking out not long before the Termites made it to the church, depositing them both in the grass, and leaving them.

Glenn spotted them through the window, calling everyone to come help him bring them inside.

Mason and Toby dropped down next to Nye, Lydia standing worriedly over their shoulders. Toby gently turned her head, staring at the blood caking the right side of her face, and the broken goggle lense above it.

She looked like a character from some post apocalyptic story, battle hardened and covered in blood. But it didn't really all fit together, with just how small and fragile she looked.

The boys were going to turn grey before her, at the rate she was coming back to them, coated in blood.


	41. The plan

"Mom." Toby whispered, gently shaking her shoulder in an effort to rouse her.

She was laying across a pew, her head resting on Toby's lap, with her legs thrown over Mason. She had yet to wake up, breathing evenly while she was lost to a dreamless sleep.

"Her head..." Toby murmured, brushing aside her hair, and looking over the thin gash that was cut by her broken goggle lense.

"Forget her head, why's her shirt bloody?" Mason worriedly asked, voice tight with fear as he finally noticed the blood seeping through the fabric.

In the aisle, everyone else was gathered around Bob, fussing over him for obvious reasons.

"It was that guy, Gareth." Bob grunted, sweating and grimacing from the pain in his leg. "And five other ones. They were eating my leg right in front of me. Like it was _nothing_."

Toby's head snapped up, as he stared at his brother probingly. Since Mason's group had gotten to Terminus first.

Mason shook his head once, face going pale, then green. It now made sense why they had been draining the bodies of blood, and why Daryl didn't want him looking around and seeing anything that might scar him.

And to think, _Nye_ had been in the clutches of those people, hands and ankles having been bound as she was completely at their mercy. So why was she still alive?

"All proud like they had it all figured out." Bob hissed, leaning up against Sasha.

"Did they have Daryl and Carol?" Rick questioned, needing to know where the last missing members were.

"Gareth said they drove off." Bob said, then groaned in agony.

"He's in pain. Do we have anything?" Sasha asked desperately, hoping to take away her lover's discomfort.

"I think there are pill packets in the first aid kit." Rosita stood, already moving to get the medicine.

"Save 'em." Bob commanded, stern despite how weak he appeared.

"No." Sasha begged.

" _Really._ " With a shaky hand he pulled his collar to the side, brandishing his right shoulder, and subsequent Walker bite. "It happened at the food bank." He explained, while Sasha had silent tears rolling down her cheeks.

"It's okay." She whispered, even though it was far from it.

"T-there's a sofa in my office." Gabriel meekly spoke from where he stood away from the group. "I know it's not much, but..."

Sasha, after just having threatened the father's life due to believing he had something to do with some of the group's disappearances, was eternally greatful for his kindness. "Thank you."

"I got 'im." Tyreese softly assured her sister, picking up the near unconscious Bob, to carry him to Gabriel's offered sofa.

Toby was busying himself with trying to wedge the broken glass of the goggle lense back in place, trying not to cut his fingers on the razor sharp edge. He needed to keep his mind off of the new discoveries, that of Bob being bit, and the looming threat of cannibals. While his brother was doing that, Mason was still watching her stomach in concern.

Blood was speading, staining the once light grey top. Taking a deep breath, Mason hooked his thumbs under the hem of her tank top, peeling the wet fabric up and away from her stomach. He made it just over her belly button, before realizing that not only was she injured, but it wasn't a regular wound. Swallowing warily, Mason pushed the bloody fabric all the way up, stopping under her breasts.

Mason sucked in a sharp gust through his nose, blanching as he fully stared at what the Termites did.

Toby got the glass back to as close to normal as possible, no jagged piece dangerously jutting out now. With the faintest smile of pride, Toby placed her goggles back and looked up at Mason.

But any words he had to say died on his tongue, as he was met with Mason's wide and distraught stare.

He sat up in worry. "What's-"

Nye's stomach, oozing the eye-catching crimson of blood, had Toby's focus dropping down to it.

The face Toby made, could be described as someone trying to swallow a live frog.

"R-Rick!" Mason finally found his voice, turning towards where their leader was talking with Gabriel, his shout shrill enough to draw everyone's attention who was still in the room.

Maggie, who was closest to the boys, minus the silent and grim Lydia, took a few steps and was immediately swelling in disbelief and rage upon seeing Nye's state.

"What is it?" Rick asked, stepping up behind Maggie.

Maggie looked over her shoulder at him, and moved aside to let him see.

At first, Rick really only registered the blood, and cuts, but in a snap he was hit with somehow even more fury towards Gareth and his people, when he finally understood what they had done.

Across Nye's stomach, perfectly missing her gears, and bullet wound scar, was a single word carved expertly into her skin.

 **MEAT**

Rick had to take several measured breaths to control himself from running out of the church in a crazed hunt for the Termites.

"I-I'll... I'll get b-bandages." Glenn's voice broke through. He was too stunned to think of anything else.

Everyone in the room felt sick to some degree, able to easily tell with how deep the cuts were, that they were going to scar.

Lydia couldn't even stand looking at her guardian.

"W-what are we gonna d-do." Toby croaked, his fear of the cannibals doubling.

"Rick?" Michonne whispered in question when he didn't answer.

Rick clenched his jaw, a plan formulating in his head. The blood seeping down Nye's pale torso motivating him by fanning the flames of his anger.

His friend- No, his _sister_ , had enough scars already, and Rick wouldn't stand to see more go unpunished.

...

 _The bus jostled her, making every injury on her body ache. It was dark out, sky a blanket of pitch blackness, with only a sparse smattering of stars throughout. The light in the bus, made her reflection glare back at her on the window._

 _Nye tentatively licked her split lip, then sniffled uncomfortably as her nose continued to bleed. She gently wiped it with her sleeve, careful not to touch her nose too hard, fearing it might be broken, with how badly it hurt._

 _Her right eye was swelling, turning a dark purple. Any time she blinked, it would bring a flash of pain._

 _The bus came to a stop, and Nye made a mad dash to get out, not wanting to hear any more not subtle at all whispering being done by the elderly couple in the back._

 _Backpack in hand, Nye stepped into the phone-booth to the side of the bus stop. Punching in the number she knew by heart, Nye refrained from biting her bleeding lip while she waited in anticipation._

 _"_ H-hello? _"_

 _Nye practically deflated in relief, body tiredly slumping against the wall of the booth. "Hey hun."_

 _The line filled with the telltale static-y sound of a sigh, as Shepherd's own tension eased. Nye felt bad for calling him, knowing he hated talking on the phone. Also, there was the risk of his foster mom answering._

 _"_ Why are you calling? _"_

 _Her eyes shut, forehead hanging down and hitting the base of the phone. "I left."_

 _"_ What? _"_

 _"I found a guy who's looking for a roommate. And any doubts I had just went up in smoke half an hour ago."_

 _"_...What did he do? _"_

 _Nye curled into herself in shame. "...The bat. He used the bat."_

 _"_ Is anything broken? _"_

 _She shook her head, knowing he couldn't see it. "No. Well, maybe my nose, can't tell yet. But I was calling to let you know I won't be at the creek tomorrow."_

 _"_ That's okay. _" Shepherd assured, able to hear how exhausted she was. "_ Just get some sleep, we can meet up at the diner instead. _"_

 _Nye nodded this time. "Okay. Love you Squirt."_

 _"_ Love you too Aggy. _"_

 _"G'night."_

 _"_ Night. _"_

 _When she put the phone down, ending the call, every dark feeling and thought came back, now that Shepherd's voice wasn't there to drown them out._

 _She was all alone again._

...

Toby dotingly wiped away the sweat building on Nye's forehead, as her chest rose and fell in shallow breaths. She wasn't sick, but the trauma just inflicted was leaving an impact on her physically.

Mason was sitting on the floor leaned up against a wall, sitting between his legs and resting back on his chest, was Nye. Her body looking small in comparison to her own kid.

"It'd be real awesome if you woke up." He murmured into her hair, exchanging looks with Toby, who was sitting by Nye's thighs.

They had been moved to one of the back rooms, while Rick and Abraham yelled at each other about what their next move was.

Lydia sat in a chair away from the three, keeping her distance from Mason, until she got an idea. Hopping down from the seat, Lydia took careful steps over to them, coming to a trembling stop as she stood next to Toby.

At first, Mason tightened his hold on Nye, eyeing the ravenette distrustfully.

Lydia didn't let it get to her, taking the felt duck and gently laying it in the crook of Nye's arm.

Toby softened at the gesture, taking Lydia's hand and slowly pulling her down to sit with him.

Mason watched the worn-out duck, as it would rise and lower with Nye's chest. Then he finally looked up and met Lydia's meek stare.

"Thank you."

Toby jolted by a fraction, then smiled proudly at his brother. He gave Lydia a subdued pat on the shoulder when she looked just as taken aback.

"Where's your dog?" Toby whispered, not wanting to shatter the muted atmosphere.

Lydia turned her upper half back towards her chair, whistling sharply for him.

The desk next to the chair moved an inch, like something bumped into it, then Samson came out from underneath, tail wagging.

He bounded over, greeting Lydia with sloppy dog kisses.

The three kids started to pet the dog who was now in reach. And Samson was revelling in the attention.

"You... you might not be the worst." Mason grudgingly admitted, unable to look at the girl.

Lydia didn't say anything, she only flushed and smiled gleefully to herself.

The door opened, Carl who held Judith, Michonne, Glenn, and Rick stepped in. Carl took Lydia's unoccupied seat, rocking Judith, while the adults stood by the door.

"We have a plan." Rick announced to them. "And I need everyone to do their part."

"Everyone _but_ Daryl and Carol?" Mason added bitterly.

Rick sighed through his nose, but didn't bother reprimanding the teen. He then gave the kids a step by step lecture about the plan, giving them all detailed instructions they had to follow.

"This seems dangerous." Toby commented once the former sheriff was done. "A lot could go wrong."

"It won't." Glenn said reassuringly.

Nye was gently carried into Gabriel's office, where Bob was unconscious on his couch. The kids, with Tyreese, Rosita, Eugene, and Gabriel were staying in the church, watching over the group's youngest and incapacitated.

She was again rested on Mason, this time with Toby laying her legs across his lap. Lydia sat nearby, Nye's right arm stretched out towards her, their fingers interlocked.

"Where do you think he is?" Toby gnawed on his bottom lip, feet tapping a rhythm induced by his nerves.

"W-who?" Lydia stammered, it being the first time she worked up the courage to speak to them directly.

"Daryl." Mason growled into his mother's hair. "He should be here. She's hurt."

Toby shook his head defensively. "He couldn't have known. Don't start chewing him out about it when they get back, he'll already feel guilty enough."

Lydia nodded along slowly, wondering to herself why they were calling him "Daryl", and not "Dad".

 _"W-well, actually he... He's not really... B-but I guess-"_ Nye had tripped over her words, trying to explain what Daryl really was to the boys, but before she could get any further, they had found Martin setting up those fireworks, leading to the group's rescue from Terminous.

Lydia was still under the naive impression that Daryl was the boys' father. It was only proven more to her, with how the redneck had been treating the two teens, protective and loving.

It reminded her of her own father, which was bittersweet.

Gabriel was pacing, face scrunched up into a anxious grimace as he wrung his hands. Tyreese was keeping watch on Bob, knife begrudgingly in hand incase he passed. Rosita was twirling her own knife as she sat next to Eugene as his guard. Carl had moved over next to the three other kids, and Nye.

Breathing, normal, and labored, were the only things you could hear in the office. No one made any move to check out the windows, or put their ear up to the door, as per Rick's orders. It was their job to be silent bait, waiting for the rest of the group to do its job.

Nye's breathing went funny, and when they looked down, Mason and Toby saw her eyes were open, looking around in confusion. She opened her mouth, but Toby rushed to silence her, fingers shooting up to his lips in the universal signal to _be quiet_.

Nye nodded slowly, mouth closing again. With her hand that wasn't being gripped by Lydia, Nye reached to her stomach, lightly brushing her fingers under her shirt and feeling the heavy bandaging.

Mason held her tighter, rocking her and humming a barely audible tune in her ear. It was unclear which one it was meant to comfort.

Carl gave her a tight-lipped smile, which came out more like a grimace than anything else. He patted her knee that he could easily reach.

Nye offered them her own try at a smile, but couldn't pull it off. Until she saw the duck laying on her chest, the sight of which helped ease the weight pulling down on her lips.

And then what they were waiting for finally happened.

Further into the church, there was the sound of wood splintering, as someone forced the locked doors open.

Gabriel crouched in the corner, clutching a rosary and bringing it to his lips in a silent prayer.

"Well, I guess you know we're here."

Nye jerked, then tried jumping out of her sons' grip, but they wouldn't let her go. Toby grabbed her face on either side, making her look at him.

'Part of the plan.' He mouthed clearly, holding her still while she panted.

"...And we know you're here." Gareth continued to yell out into the church, knowing they could hear him as he stood in the aisle between the pews. "And we're armed. So there's really no point in hiding anymore."

Carl was standing in front of the door now, aiming his gun at the plank of wood that was the only thing separating them from the cannibals.

"We've been watching you. We know who's here."

Nye shuddered, hand moving to where her wrench usually was on her belt. But it was missing.

Sadness now mixed with the fear, as she realized she must have lost it sometime between her and Bob getting taken, and when they were dropped back off at the church. Either way, it didn't matter when she lost it, what mattered was that it was gone and she couldn't afford to go snooping around the woods to find it.

That left her with her pistol, her crossbow, and a handful of knives, both regular and throwing. But the weight missing from her belt felt strange, and she knew it would take awhile to get over losing her first weapon of the apocalypse.

"There's Bob, unless you've put him out of his misery already. And Eugene. Rosita. Martin's good friends Tyreese and Lydia. Carl. Judith. Can't forget Nye, and her kiddos, Mason and Toby."

Said kiddos were holding onto Nye, keeping her down while she seethed. She didn't want to hear him speak her sons' names ever again. He didn't deserve to even _know_ their names.

"Speaking of, did you get our little message? Figured it would be fun to watch you squirm a bit before we, well, you know." Gareth shrugged, hoping everyone had gotten an eyeful of the carved warning in Nye's flesh. Especially their leader. "Rick and the rest walked out with a lot of your guns. Listen, we don't know where you all are, but this isn't a big place." He cautioned with feigned sincerity. "So let's just stop this now before things get more painful than they need to be."

The door handle rattled as one of the Termites tried opening it.

Samson barred his teeth, growling lowly enough that the people outside couldn't hear it. The dog was proving to be a good judge of character.

"Look, you're behind one of these two doors and we have more than enough firepower to take down both." Gareth said, tired of playing games. "Can't imagine that's what you all want."

Someone cocked a gun, causing the three kids surrounding Nye to jump and inch closer to her.

"How about the priest? Father, you help us wrap this up, we'll let you walk away from this." Gareth bargained.

Gabriel shut his eyes, ignoring the cannibal as he prayed for the Termites to leave peacefully.

"Just open the door and you can go. You can even take the baby with you. What do you say?"

Everyone held their breath, waiting. Until the worst possible thing happened.

Judith's face went red, as she took a mighty inhale, and let it go in a loud cry.

Nye swore, darting up from her spot and diving to the other end of the room, where Judith was. Trying to block out how much her stomach hurt, Nye picked Judith up out of the wicker basket, holding her to her chest as Nye patted the baby's back. It seemed to work, Judith's cries tapering off.

But it was already far too late.

"It's your last chance right now to tell us you're coming out." Gareth shouted, him and his people now standing outside Gabriel's office, where they were all hiding out in.

All but Judith and Gabriel tensed in preparation, waiting for them to knock down the door.

Before they could though, outside of the room, two of the Termites' heads snapped forward, blood splattering on the wall, then they dropped like stones.

The silenced shots took out the Termites standing at the door, so it gave them all a pretty good idea that whoever fired was one of the good guys. Nye's body went slack, slumping against the wall with a tired smile.

"Put your guns on the floor."

"Rick, we'll fire right into that office."

Nye smirked inwardly at how scared Gareth sounded.

"So you lower your gun-" The Termite leader was cut off by a shot, Rick's impeccable aim shooting two of Gareth's fingers clean off, making him drop his gun.

Gareth gave a short scream of pain, cradling his hand to his chest and falling to his knees.

"Put your guns on the floor and kneel." Rick growled, still clear over Gareth's grunts and whimpers.

"Do what he says." Gareth ordered, knowing Rick meant business.

All of Gareth's remaining people set down their weapons and kneeled. Except one.

"Martin, there's no choice here."

Tyreese winced, eyes shutting as his head hung low. Lydia gave Nye an apologetic look, but the brunette waved her off, already having forgiven the girl.

"Yeah, there is." Martin challenged, only for Abraham to come out of the shadows, putting his rifle to the man's temple.

"Wanna bet?"

"No point in begging, right?" Gareth whispered looking up at Rick.

"No."

"S-still, you could have killed us when you came in. There had to be a r-reason for that." Gareth's voice trembled from the pain in his hand.

"We didn't want to waste the bullets." Rick explained plainly. He wanted inflict more damage to these people. Hurt them for all the hurt they have caused.

The bloody message forever etched into Nye's skin came to mind, and with it Rick debated backing out on his original plan for Gareth, so he could toy with him longer instead. But that was too much of a risk.

"We used to help people." Gareth groaned vehemently. "We saved people. Things changed. They came in and-" He shook his head. "...After that I know that you've been out there, but I can see it. You don't know what it is to be _hungry_."

Looking down at her calloused hands, blood and dirt underneath her nails, Nye scoffed.

"You don't have to do this. We can walk away." Gareth bargained as he stared up at Rick's merciless glare. "And we will _never_ cross paths again. I _promise_ you."

Rick's jaw rolled as he clenched it, head ticking to the side in the way it always did when he was going unhinged. "But you'll cross someone's path. You'd do this to anyone, right?"

Gareth gaped like a fish as it was tossed on land, his chest spasming with pleas he couldn't force out.

"...Besides, I already made you a promise." Rick whispered to him, pulling out the machete with a red handle.

Gareth's eyes widened, his uninjured hand moving upwards to defend himself. "No!"

The blade cracked Gareth's skull with a disgusting squelch, sticking in the bloody cavity until Rick jerked it out.

Throughout the pews, everyone but Glenn, Maggie, Tara, and those in the office started killing the last of the Termites, stabbing and slashing. Bashing and beating.

Tyreese cracked open the door, peering out. He immediately regretted it however, when he watched as Sasha brutally stabbed Martin to death. She was doing it with enough force in each blow, that his ribs soon collapsed.

"Don't listen." Nye softly ordered the kids, but only Lydia did as told. Mason and Toby wanted to hear it all, while Carl picked up Judith from the injured brunette and held her close.

Finally, when the grunting and wet collisions stopped, they slowly stepped out of the office.

Gabriel looked around in devastation. "This is the Lord's house." He croaked tearily.

"No." Maggie said dully. "It's just four walls and a roof."

Paying no mind to the dead body sitting on the other side, Nye dropped down on a pew, and held her head in her hands. The smell of blood was heavy in the air, and her stomach burned something fierce, and it was all bringing back memories of bleeding out alone.

This time, Daryl wasn't around to carry her back to somewhere that felt like home.

...

Bob was laid to rest in a grave, lovingly. While the bodies of the Termites were dumped into a shallow hole in the ground, halfheartedly covered back up. They were only given a grave so they were no longer rotting in the church. Gabriel spoke a few verses from the Bible as Bob was buried, though the man was obviously uncomfortable with the group after witnessing what some of them did.

After that, Nye learned of Glenn's agreement with Abraham.

"You can't go!"

Glenn smiled sadly at her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's our choice. And don't worry, once Daryl and Carol get back, you guys won't have any trouble catching up."

The kids, even including Lydia, all gave them hugs before their departure.

"This isn't goodbye, right?" Toby hiccuped into Glenn's embrace, eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Right." Glenn assured, hugging the teen harder. Maggie joined, rubbing Toby's back gently.

Rosita gave a playful punch to Mason's arm. "Look out for your family, 'kay Mase?"

Mason flushed, but nodded sturdily, taking the job forever seriously. "Y-yeah, of course."

Glenn, Maggie, and Tara all got into the bus after Abraham, Rosita, and Eugene.

Nye thought Eugene looked scared for some reason, but brushed it off.

"G-Glenn?" Lydia squeaked, stepping up to the bus.

"What's up?" He asked, crouching down to her level.

Lydia wrung her duck in her hands, then nodded to Samson. "T-take him. He's good at p-protecting."

Nye, along with those going with Abraham, melted at Lydia's consideration.

Glenn smiled at her tenderly. "Thank you Lydia. We'll take good care of him until we all meet back up."

Lydia relaxed slightly, leading Samson into the bus.

Nye felt validated as her guardian, knowing Samson was somewhat of a safety blanket for the girl. So if she was willing to part with him, though temporarily, had to mean Nye was doing something right.

Watching the bus drive away left an uncomfortable uneasiness with the group, but there wasn't anything they could do. Sasha was the only one who didn't send them off with a farewell, standing by Bob's grave and not leaving his side, silently wearing his dark green jacket.

With every hour that passed, the kids could see Nye getting more and more anxious, to the point that she just sat out on the front porch, waiting for Daryl and Carol to come back. Michonne ended up being the only one who could get her inside, under the guise of needing to change her bandages. Disturbingly enough, Nye didn't seem too bothered by her new scars, only exhausted by them.

She was standing in the bathroom, shirt held up by one hand as her other gingerly dabbed on disinfectant. Outside, she could hear the church doors open, followed by voiced relief from the group. Then, there was that gravelly tone mixed in with the rest, a questioning cadence lining it.

Someone (it sounded like Mason) answered him, and immediately there was heavy footfall coming in her direction. It didn't come to mind that she should probably drop her shirt, so when Daryl appeared in the doorway, he froze at the sight of her.

Michonne had filled him in about Bob and Nye while walking him and the stranger to the church, calmly explaining to him that something had happened to the brunette, but not going into specifics, other than "They used her to send a message."

Nye blinked, relaxing marginally now that he was back. She uncaring dropped her shirt, his eyes not leaving the area the gashes were, despite being covered now.

"Hey."

He clenched his jaw, which had a new bruise from his mystery trip with Carol. He took a step, and stopped, looking up to her eyes finally. Then he did something surprising.

With two long strides Daryl had her gripped tightly to him.

Nye gasped inaudibly, burying her nose into his collarbone as her heart raced. It wasn't a hug exactly, more like he was trying to keep her close, and shielded. She didn't even think he realized that he was whispering some sort of apology for not being there for her, which was littered with a few "Sunshine"s.

The tern of endearment caught her off guard, not having heard it since the prison. She forgot how warm it made her feel.

Today and the night previous hadn't been good by any means, but being held by her favorite redneck made her pain, emotional and physical, ebb away to the back of her mind. He can explain himself later, but right now, she just wanted him close.

* * *

 **I cannot adequately express to you guys how happy I get to read your guys' reviews. It really does help keep me motivated to write even while I'm in slumps like the one I'm currently in. Even while on anti-depressants I sometimes lull into a state of exhaustion and apathy, and pretty much lose all drive to get stuff done. But reading all the incredibly kind things you guys leave in reviews helps me feel like writing Nye's story is worth it.**

 **I'm hoping to get back on the regular thursday schedule by the time we reach Alexandria, but for now, please bare with me! I love and appreciate you all so much!**


	42. All coming together

When Nye learned that Carol wasn't back, but instead left in Atlanta, she was pissed. It did nothing for the situation that Daryl brought back a total stranger rather than the group's resident mother figure. The sour feelings Nye held, betrayal and jealousy, were forgotten as if never even there in the first place. Grudges weren't something they needed to hang onto in the apocalypse. Nye of all people could understand that.

In the hush of night, Daryl quietly explained the situation alongside the new guy, Noah. While her stomach burned in protest, Nye reclined on a pew, caressing Judith's thin hair as she laid on Nye's front. In between Daryl's urgent conversation with Rick, demanding to know where Glenn and the others went, the short brunette started to nod off, comforted by the warm weight of Judith resting against her.

People soon noticed that Nye had tapped out, her body taking up energy to heal itself, and decided it was time to rest, in preparation for storming the hospital to retrieve the two members taken. But a few weren't ready yet, not until they had all possible details.

"Which hospital is this?" Rick asked Noah, hands on his hips as he stared the kid down.

"G-Grady Memorial, Sir."

Toby shot up, Mason snoring away at his side. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, why?"

"That's where Mom worked." Toby hesitantly told them, uncomfortable talking about it now that it was more of an unattainable memory. "They really turned it into something that bad?"

Noah sighed through his nose. "It wasn't the staff who made it what it is now, the police sent there at the start are the ones who corrupted it."

Lydia looked up from her duck, holding back from asking anyone what "corrupted" meant. The only people she felt comfortable enough to ask things like that to were Nye, who was asleep, and Glenn, who was God knows where.

When there was no more questions that Rick could think of, the rest finally laid down to get some sleep. Daryl tried to subtly lay down on the pew across the aisle from Nye, but the exasperated rolling of Toby's eyes told him that his intentions were obvious.

...

With a plan thrown together during the crack of dawn, Rick told the group how they were going to get Beth and Carol back. While they took apart pews and the dusty church organ for parts to reinforce the building's weak spots, everyone was filled in on their part of the operation. The kids were obviously staying at the church, much to the boys' reluctance, as was Michonne. Nye was under house arrest until her stomach and re-opened gunshot in her left shoulder healed, as was firmly stated by their leader and his right-hand man. And Gabriel was not only untrustworthy, but also laughably pathetic, so he was staying back too, to avoid getting in the way.

Logically she knew why she was more of a burden than an asset, but Nye fumed internally at everyone's babying treatment towards her. Even understanding that she was in no shape to be doing anything, it still left her feeling like she was just bringing everyone around her down. And that's why, the moment no one was paying attention, she snuck off to help destroy the church's furniture along with some of the others.

The pain spearing her middle and her shoulder kept her motivated, signaling to her that she was still alive, and still in working order. She only took a break when it was time for the team to leave.

"We'll be back soon" Rick promised his son as he stood at the door, the van outside was full of weapons, ready for the mission ahead.

"I know." Carl smirked, full faith in his father's abilities, and excited to see Beth again, along with getting back Carol.

Nye stared down at her shoes, scuffing them across the hardwood floors of the church, part of her felt childish as she was tongue-tied in front of him, but the rest was too preoccupied by worry.

"Be safe, or I swear to God..." She trailed off, looking up at him.

Daryl nodded, more sombre than usual, undoubtedly because of the stakes today. When he spoke, he surprised her with something different than his normal "Always am."

"I will. Promise."

Nye sagged in relief, shoulders rolling back from their stiff position. With a breathless smile, she playfully punched his upper arm, but became immediately felt self conscious of the act, blushing and ducking her head awkwardly.

It was a good thing she wasn't looking, in the redneck's opinion, because the look he was giving her upon watching her get flustered, was in no way platonic.

Not too concerned due to their unwavering trust and respect in the man, Mason and Toby spared little more than a wave and encouragement to get back before dinner. Lydia was too unfamiliar with him personally to say anything, but she did hope internally for him and the rest to get back safe.

As the big moving van pulled away, kicking up dust in its wake, Michonne ushered the kids and Nye back inside, Judith bouncing in her arms. With every inch the van got further away with, the harder it got to avoid getting her hopes up, but Nye was just too eager to show Beth how stubborn she was against dying.

"Think she'll look different?" Mason proposed as he helped nail a plank of repurposed wood to one of the windows.

Nye raised a brow, mouth low in an unimpressed frown. "Ace, it hasn't been that long. What do you expect, a beard?"

Toby snorted from where he sat, pulling apart a pew.

"Rick grew one, shuddup." Mason grumbled.

"I'm sure she probably looks the same." Nye leaned back on the only remaining pew. "She's still just a teenager." She paused. "...I think."

The apocalypse timeline was impossible to read by this point. She could have sworn it was later in the year a few weeks ago, but now the heat was blazing like the worst summer in Georgia history.

Lydia, who was standing stiffly in the corner of the room, wrung her duck in her hands uncomfortably. "W-who's Beth?"

"She's Maggie's sister." Carl said, him and Michonne heaving up a massive plank of wood now, balancing it on the handles of the front door, hammering it in place. "She got kidnapped while she was with Daryl."

The hammering woke up Judith, who started crying in her makeshift crib. Before Nye or Michonne could move to hush the baby, Lydia was already by her side in a flash, kneeling down by the wicker laundry basket. The raven haired girl hummed a soft tune and gently pressed Judith's pacifier to her mouth. The infant opened her mouth and happily took the rubber to gnaw on, eyelids drooping lazily as she was lulled silent by Lydia's humming.

Michonne seemed impressed by the girl, putting her hands on her hips with a smile. "How did you know to do that?"

Lydia's reaction to the question was unexpected, as she opened her mouth silently and paled, looking off as if lost in a memory.

"Pup?"

She jumped, eyes glassy and refusing to meet Michonne's or anyone else's. "We hav- _had_ to keep them quiet, or s-she would... leave them behind." She hung her head, a curtain of black blocking them off from her expression. "...so the Dead would make it silent for us."

Michonne inhaled sharply, arms crossing and tucking close to herself. Mason and Toby shared a look, neither having thought Lydia's people were that horrible, even after Nye's warning. Carl nodded to himself, not seeming that surprised anymore to hear something so awful.

Nye swallowed, tipping her head back and closing her eyes as a swell of anger and disgust welled up. But she couldn't just start spitting curses to vent, not without startling Lydia. So instead she gave a long sigh, sliding down the pew as it went.

There was no telling how long the team would be gone, so a waiting game was all they were left with, which frayed on Nye's nerves with every second that went by. The longer it took for them to return, the further Glenn and the rest got on their way to Washington

...

 _"Don't open the car for anybody!" Nye ordered as she jumped out of Pumpkin's front seat, slamming the door after her._

 _Mason and Toby sat in the back, shaking and surrounded by supplies. The radio was quietly playing their favorite music station, but just like all the others, it was only replaying the same message over and over. Telling them to get to Atlanta._

 _Nye ran up the porch, banging her fist against the door thunderously with trembling hands. None of the windows were boarded up, and the door was still locked, but Nye knew he had to be inside because his car was still in the shop._

 _"Paul! Open the fucking door!" She yelled, voice cracking as tears pricked her eyes. Her hand was starting to hurt now, as she continuously hit it against the solid wood._

 _She had his key, but after the news started covering all the strange attacks, Paul had gotten a deadbolt to add to the regular doorknob lock, so she was stuck outside unless he let her in._

 _Barking a few more orders to let her in, which he didn't answer, Nye snapped. Picking up one of the decorative rocks littering his porch, she reared her arm back, throwing it and shattering the window to the right of the door. The boys were yelling something, most likely in shock, but were too muffled in the van to make out. Nye pulled her sleeve over her hand, knocking away the jagged glass left in the pane. Using her size to her advantage, she slipped through the window, glass crunching beneath her shoes. It was eerily stagnant in the house, with not a whisper of sound or movement. Part of her was relieved, because she didn't want to encounter one of those_ things.

 _But the bigger part of her, was freaking out over Paul's absence. Running through the house, she confirmed that it was empty after no sign of him was there. As she searched she tried telling herself stories of how he could be perfectly fine, and that she needed to calm down. But when she heard something rattling in the garage, some of her hope flickered out._

 _With a harsh and angry sniff, she marched towards the door. The silver handgun felt foreign in her hand as she lifted it up defensively. Standing at the door leading into the garage, Nye shuddered as the strange noise continued, sounding like something was banging against hollow metal. Her free hand shot out, turning the knob and shooting back close to her frame in an instant. Immediately there was a strong odor that hit her, smelling of blood and decay, and when she stuck her elbow out to flick on the light, she gagged at the source._

 _Stuck behind Paul's lawn mower and pushed by it up to the wall, was a moving corpse, swinging its arms at her as it caught her scent. The placement of the mower made it clear that it had been hastily pushed to block off the undead from moving. A draft from her left lead her to finding the second door, the one that leads to the backyard, was wide open._

 _Shaking her head, Nye lowered her gun, shoulders slumping as she began to hyperventilate. But she was allowed no time to reel herself in, as the freshly dead monster managed to wiggle his way around the riding mower, stumbling her way as its stomach was torn open my the mower, its intestines sliding out with a wet splatter. Scrambling back, Nye fumbled with her gun, trying to get the safety off. As she was backing away though, she tripped over an empty bucket._

 _The floor falling out from under her, Nye screamed as her back slammed into the concrete floor, already aching from the impact. The thing in front of her cocked its head, lipless mouth snapping at her as it dove down on her, dousing her lower half in cold and thick blood. Nye kicked at its hollowed torso, knocking it back, but only for a second before it was right back on her. The soils of her shoes slick from blood as they kept futilely kicking up at the corpse._

 _Hand empty, as the gun vanished when she had tripped, Nye reached around blindly for something to hit the thing with. As luck would have it, her fingertips brushed against metal, covered in chipping red paint. With a desperate grunt, she wrapped her fingers around the handle, and swung the top of the large monkey wrench at the corpse, successfully getting out from under it as it fell to the side._

 _As she panted, she stared down at it in shock, almost unbelieving that she had survived the encounter. The hit was forceful enough to shatter its jaw, that now hung catty cornered to one side as it seeped sludge-like blood._

 _Finally, without the threat of death distracting her, Nye recognized the body as one of Paul's neighbors. A guy who had moved in shortly after her friend bought the house._

 _Standing on her knees, splattered in blood, and one wrong step away from her heart seizing up, Nye reached into her pocket and pulled out her flip phone, dialing Paul's number with unsteady fingers. The tiny keys were smeared in blood now, transferring some to her cheek as she put it up to her ear._

 _"Please, please, please..." She chanted under her breath, listening for the tone to cut off, hoping for his voice on the other end._

 _"_ I'm sorry, but the person you are trying to contact is- _"_

 _Nye bit her lip, closing her eyes and hanging her head, hating every word of the automated message she now had memorized. As soon as the beep sounded, she took a deep breath. She knew by now that chances were slim of him even being alive, him being a pacifist and all, but she still needed this peace of mind._

 _"Hey, bud. It's me... again." Nye squeaked. "U-uh, I'm in your garage, a-and..." She fell silent, unsure of what she wanted him to hear. But it came to her, as she glanced out the window, catching sight of bright orange._

 _"T-the boys are okay. Neither of them are hurt, but... they're scared. Mason said he's not worried, but he hasn't put Manny down once. And Toby's been fighting tears since we left the apartment." Nye lethargically picked up the wrench again, weighing it in her hand. "...I'm scared man, how am I supposed to keep them safe? How do I-" Her voice cracked. "How do I stop them from getting hurt, when I couldn't even help-" Her voice gave, dying out into a choked exhale._

 _She sniffled, wiping her cheek with her shoulder as a tear ran down. Her kids were probably starting to worry, so she needed to head back outside, empty-handed._

 _But maybe, she could spare them the heartache that she was feeling herself._

 _"Sorry I wasn't here. Thanks for everything, and... I guess I'll see you later."_

 _Nye hit the "end call" button, being greeted by her home-screen background. Her two boys grinned back at her, done up in heavy winter gear. The picture was taken back not even six months ago, when snow was in abundance and they were eager to sprint outside to play, even at the risk of catching a cold._

 _When she slid back into the drivers seat, still holding her phone and the new wrench, Mason and Toby leaned forwards, internally freaking out the longer she didn't say anything._

 _"Where is he?" Mason croaked, wringing Manny violently._

 _Nye blinked down at the steering wheel, setting the wrench down across her lap, and tucking her phone back in her pocket._

 _"Nye, what was in there?" Toby asked, eyeing the blood on her, that wasn't there before._

 _She looked up finally, turning around her upper half, and staring them both individually in the eyes for a beat. Then, to their relief, she smiled._

 _"Don't worry, he called. He's already at the safe-zone."_

 _"Why didn't he call before?"_

 _"His phone died. He told me to tell you, that everything's gonna be fine. We just have to head to Atlanta to meet back up."_

 _The boys beamed, the much needed good news easing their fear to a degree._

 _Nye turned back around, starting up Pumpkin, masking a shuddering sigh under the engine coming to life._

 _She hated lying to them. But sometimes it was what they needed to hear to be able sleep through the night._

...

"Gabriel," Nye droned, knocking on the door to his office. "Soup's on."

She waited, not a sound coming from the room, and knocked again, harder this time.

"Gab-"

"Please! Let me in! Please!" A shrill voice screamed at the front entrance of the church, Gabriel throwing his fists into the wood painfully to get their attention. "Let me in! They're close! Help! They're coming!"

His screams were accompanied by a barrage of snarls and groans, the unmistakable sound of the living dead.

Nye threw herself from the office door, left arm braced over her stomach in pain, while the other swung her crossbow up and armed. "Kids get your shit!"

Michonne was already unsheathing her sword, as she and Carl ran to the door, immediately working to get off the planks of wood they had just hammered down, to let in the priest.

"Please don't leave me out here! Please! Don't leave me out here! Carl! Michonne! Nye!" Gabriel continued to call, throwing his weight at the door, not able to make it budge. The Walkers reached for him, the only thing keeping them from their meal being the spokes set up to impale and halt the Walkers.

Mason ran out of the bathroom, looking understandably startled, on his hip was Judith, who was having to be cleaned up after wrestling against food. Toby though had followed his mother's shouted orders and had two bags hanging off of his shoulders, Lydia stood at his side, hiding halfway behind him as the Walkers somehow grew louder.

"I had to see it! I know now! Let me live with it! Oh, God, please!" It was unclear what Gabriel was talking about, but his tone was remorseful.

Carl was futilely trying to pry the wood off of the door, egged on by Gabriel's increased screams. Michonne saw the struggle and quickly located their axe.

"Get back."

With a heavy swing she cut a splinter through the top half of the plank, rearing her arm back, she swung again. Bit by bit the wood chipped apart, and once there was only a flimsy piece left, she was able to jerk it off. The door flew open, as Gabriel rushed inside, behind had to be two dozen Walkers, all looking to force their way in after him. Carl shot the ones on Gabriel's heels down, saving the priest at the last second. Michonne slashed down the ones staggering in after, slowly backing up down the aisle along with Nye and Carl.

"The rectory, come on!" Gabriel yelled, gesturing frantically for them to follow.

The kids were pushed through the door first, quickly covering the adults as they ran in, the Walkers' right behind them heads exploding as the bullets entered their skulls.

Oddly, there was a hole in the floor in the middle of the room, the floorboards pried up and away to reveal the open space underneath. Wedged in between two boards was a machete that Gabriel had been given for safety, proving to be the tool he used to make the hole.

"That's how I got out." Gabriel explained, he and Michonne fighting to keep the door closed. The woman acted fast, placing a chair up under the knob, sadly it didn't do much. "Crawl under to the back. Just go. Take the little ones and go." He rasped at the three boys, motioning to Judith, still held by Mason, and Lydia who stood behind Carl and Toby.

Carl hopped down first, helping Lydia climb down after him. Toby jumped to follow, and Mason finally sat down on the edge and scooted into the hole, careful with the baby as Judith began to cry. He paused, looking up at Nye in concern as he panted.

Michonne gave the brunette a nod, and Nye gave one back, moving towards the hole to go with the kids.

"Right behind you hun."

Under the church was musty, and held the scent of old dirt and wet wood. It was dark and cramped but they all slowly found the spot Gabriel must of snuck through, sunlight acting as their beacon. To her relief, Nye could hear Michonne and Gabriel land on the dirt behind her, having made it through the hole before the Walkers could get to them.

Once on the other side, they raced back around to the front doors, shutting and locking them, effectively trapping the Walkers inside. As they cautiously stepped away from the doors and further from the church, the old wood and hinges creaked, dangerously close to giving way and letting the dozens or so Walkers back out.

Unfortunately, the front doors flew open under the pressure, and the undead scrambled over each other to reach the fresh meat in front of them.

But in a blink, there was a gust of wind that hit the small group, and suddenly a fire engine slammed into the front of the church, killing the Walkers at the entrance and cutting the rest off from escaping.

Abraham, Glenn, Tara and the rest all jumped out of the vehicle in tandem, armed and looking a little worse than before they left. It was a mystery whatever happened to the bus, one that could be answered later.

As they all stood together, ten adults, five kids, and a dog, it was finally time to give Maggie the news about the mission to retrieve Beth, alive and well.

Everything was all coming together, and things were looking bright.


	43. How you remember it

**Kinda a slow chapter, but I swear things will pick up the pace. Also, happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it!**

* * *

Being able to ride a fire engine was something that had always peaked Nye's interest, but she never found an opportunity to actually do it. Who would have thought that the apocalypse would finally give her the chance.

Maggie was radiating excitement, ever since the moment Michonne eagerly told the farmer's daughter of how they found Noah, and subsequently Beth. There was a light back in her eyes that hadn't been there since they had everything taken from them at the prison. Glenn looked on at his wife adoringly, happy to see her so lively.

It didn't take long though, for the light to go back out, like a fragile wick of a candle. Because any morale boost given by Abraham's promise was stomped back down when Glenn told them the news. Eugene had lied.

As Nye sat cramped in the back, Lydia on her lap and Samson at her feet, she stared half-lidded at Eugene next to her, knocked unconscious by the enraged redhead when the genius came clean. At this point in her life, Nye couldn't bring herself to put as much energy into anger anymore, so a thick blanket of disappointment and exhaustion is what she was left with towards the man next to her.

A hand rested comfortingly on her knee, dirt under the nails and a single mole on the back. There was something bitter-sweet she had to swallow back, as she took note of just how big the hand was now. She could remember a day that it gently clasped in hers as they walked out of his previous set-up to come live with her and Mason. It had been so small.

Nye leaned right, resting her head on Toby's shoulder, much higher than it used to be, no longer giving Nye a crick in her neck from holding the position long.

"I'm sorry Mom."

Nye closed her eyes, holding Lydia tighter and burying her face into her son's shoulder. She was the sorry one.

She just wanted her kids to be able to have their bright futures back.

...

Stepping out of the fire truck, and onto the hot pavement, Nye looked around in disbelief. Grady Memorial, once pristine and hopeful was now littered with bloodied tents and dead bodies. She hung in the back with the kids, but kept a small distance from even them as she took in her old workplace.

The three boys and young girl all watched her worriedly, as her steps slowed and her eyes glistened.

Her feet stopped moving completely, stationary as she bit her lip and stared wide-eyed at one of the Walkers who had melted to the parking lot from the intense heat.

It snapped it's jaws at her, unstuck arm swinging violently as it groaned. Nye walked closer, aiming her handgun at him and firing. The corpse of her coworker, Josh, slumped and went silent.

Sighing, Nye lazily pulled her gun back to her side, turning around to rejoin the group.

In what felt like moving in slow motion, Nye looked ahead and paled. Maggie started screaming and sobbing, falling to her knees and relying on Glenn as he caught her. Mason, Toby, and Carl all deflated, taking turns shaking their heads and muttering denials.

But Nye, she just watched. Cheeks pale and hollowed as she sucked in a breath, standing in the back as she watched Daryl, her thick-skinned hunter, cry as he carried out Beth.

The small and fragile body was limp, fresh blood dripping from her golden locks, the source being a grotesque hole in the back of her head.

Someone had killed her, deliberately.

When Rick passed her, face stony and eyes wet, she grabbed his bicep.

He glanced back questioningly.

"They're dead." She whispered, not a question but a statement. Nye just had to be sure.

Rick hesitated, flashing back to Daryl mercilessly blowing the lady cop's brains out.

"Yeah," He nodded, voice low and gruff. "They're dead."

Without much else to do, they did what they had been. They kept moving.

Taking a few random cars from the parking lot, they all solemnly piled into them. Beth's body was wrapped in a found blanket with care, and she was laid down across the back seats in one of the vehicles. Maggie understandably chose to ride in a different one.

Nye's palms burned as they settled on the leather steering wheel, the lighthouse effect heating up the inside of the car, causing a nauseating melted plastic smell, while the sun had thoroughly baked any and all black surfaces. But there was a tired numbness that drowned it all out.

The kids had silently gotten in behind her, leading Samson inside to rest at their feet, staying quiet as they watched her casually start the hot-wired mini van, their gazes heavy and sharp on the back of her neck.

Looking out the smudged passenger side window, Nye bit her lip as she watched Daryl get in his own car and start it up, making it clear he was driving alone. Without conscious thought, Nye reached out for her seatbelt, intending to go to him, but a shadow appeared outside the passenger window, blocking her view of him. They opened the door and got in, silently sitting next to Nye.

Tara buckled up, sweating visibly. It wasn't clear if it was from the heat, or the uncomfortable silence stifling the car.

She and Nye locked eyes, and unable to take the intensity, Tara lowered her gaze to her lap.

"I... I could't-"

"It's okay." Nye muttered, slowly following the line of cars in front of her. It couldn't be easy being around Maggie and Glenn right now, which was where Tara usually was. Nye didn't want to make the woman feel even more alienated than she already was, being one of the newest members to the group and all.

"What... what happens now?" Toby hesitantly broached.

Lydia and Mason looked up, giving her an inquisitive look through the rearview mirror.

Nye ignored the choking feeling she had in her throat and chest, and instead shook her head.

"I wish I knew."

...

 _While strolling through the cell-block, Nye absentmindedly bobbed her head, humming a tune lowly. As she walked past a cell, she halted, hearing something faintly over her humming. Brows furrowed, she tipped her head, listening closer._

 _She heard it again, a soft sniffle._

 _Wincing, she inched towards the noise, coming to stand in front of Beth's barred door, the other side blocked off by a bed sheet. She was supposed to head straight back to her own room to get more proper rest, but she wouldn't be able to relax knowing something was wrong with the teen. So she reached out, wrapping the wall with her knuckles twice._

 _The sniffling cut off, followed by a shaky intake of air. Nye frowned, when Beth swung open the curtain, a smile slapped onto her tear-stained face._

 _"Hi, is somethin' wrong?"_

 _Nye grimaced, tucking her hands deeply into her pockets as she studied Beth's dishevelled appearance. "You tell me."_

 _Beth's lips pinched together as she fought making any obviously bothered expression. "I'm fi-" Her voice snagged, hitching and going no further._

 _Nye softened, moving towards the girl slowly enough that Beth could stop her if she wanted to. But Beth instead met her halfway, hanging her head and falling into Nye's maternal embrace._

 _The brunette flinched, her still fresh gunshot stinging fiercely as Beth unintentionally pressed onto it. Nonetheless she held onto the blonde, rubbing her back warmly while Beth shook._

 _"It's never gonna get better, is it?" Beth cried softly._

 _Slowly pulling the girl away, Nye looked her in the eyes. Beth's were glassy and red, showing that she had been in distress awhile before Nye heard her. Rubbing her hands up and down the teen's arms, Nye frowned sadly, unable to find the right words to console the girl. What she could do though, was what she did best._

 _"Let's get you cleaned up, and I'll make you something to eat."_

 _All that ever seemed to come naturally to her, was to be the mother figure that some people were lacking._

...

The pavement they walked over burned them from below. The sun's unforgiving rays heating up the unending black trail going on for miles before them, daunting and spirit crushing after the previous events.

No one spoke a word, left to listen to cicadas sing, and Maggie's mournful cries.

Everything had fallen apart so quickly, taking the group's high hopes and jerking them back into the dirt.

Beth had been buried that very morning, and she took so many bright possibilities down with her into the soft soil now keeping her company.

Many in the group blamed themselves for her death, none more so than Daryl and Noah, and it left a noticeable grayness to any and all once casual conversation. The only things spoken were by Rick, as he quietly gave them orders. But he didn't dare turn his attention to Maggie, letting her have her peace in the back.

For the first time, in maybe ever, Nye was wondering how things were supposed to get better. In the past there was always things that gave them just a bit of hope to hold onto. Even when Jenner told them there was no point, at least they still had their early optimism. Even as the farm burned, at least they had the cars and a plan. Even as Rick crumbled under the loss of Lori, at least they had the new arrival proudly named Judith. Even as the prison burned, they may have been divided, but they weren't lost.

This time it really felt like the straw that broke the camel's back. While they still walked in a group, never before had it felt so isolated.

"...Mom?" Mason dared to sigh as he and Toby flanked her on either side.

Nye stared ahead, blinked, and finally looked to her eldest walking on her left.

Mason frowned heavily, his arms locked as he carefully carried Lydia as the girl was taking a short nap. Samson trotted beside them, keeping an eye on the girl now that they were reunited.

"Are... are you okay?"

Nye's gaze slid to the pavement, her body looked stiff and uncomfortable, almost like a action figure right out of the box. But whether it was for his sake, or hers, she cracked a smile.

" 'm fine."

Mason hummed lowly, looking past her, and to Toby. The brothers shared a helpless shrug, unsure of any way they could get Nye to crack and let her true feelings air out. It was starting to worry them, the fact that Nye had yet to cry a single tear over Beth.

There was one last thing left for them to reach for, and it was Rick's job to assemble the team to check it out. Beth had promised Noah she would get him back to his neighborhood, where it was supposedly safe and walled off from the gruesome outside. With her gone, it fell on the rest of the group to get him there, while simultaneously looking over a potential place that they could take up residence.

It was decided that the team would be Rick, Michonne, Tyreese, Noah, Glenn, and Nye.

The brunette looked up in surprise when Rick had declared she was coming. And it was obvious that some people weren't happy with the decision, but her medical experience might come in handy incase something happened. Before they could lose any more daylight, they piled into the first running car they could find and sped off.

It made Nye feel like a weight was dropped into her stomach, when Daryl only gave them a cursory glance before heading into the surrounding woods "in search of food".

To a degree she understood how he felt, but what she didn't get was why he felt so responsible for what happened. It was as much as the rest of the group's fault as it was his. But Nye knew that the stupid guilt complex of his was probably what was making him such a wreck. The only other time Nye could think of that he was acting like this, was during the aftermath of losing Merle.

Sitting in the backseat with Glenn, Nye leaned her head against the window, her goggles pressing uncomfortably into her forehead, surely leaving a temporary indent. The brown and green of the thick woods wizzed by, making her feel dizzy the longer she looked. But Nye didn't avert her eyes, instead she purposefully tracked the trees, making herself feel worse, to the point of almost asking Tyreese to pull over so she wouldn't vomit all over Glenn.

Nowhere in her mind, did Nye realize why she was doing it. She didn't realize it was just a way for her to punish herself. A way to hopefully take some of her own guilt away.

And as she reached for her stomach and tiredly dug into her scabbing scars, she never realized that hurting herself wouldn't solve anything.

...

"This is good." Rick nodded approvingly, looking around the patch of forest they parked the car in. Next to them was two other vehicles, mangled from a rough accident. "Through the trees, it might just look like part of the wreck."

Nye shifted her crossbow uneasily in her hands, staring at the snarling Walker that was trapped inside one of the wrecked cars, its rotted hands thumping continuously on the dusted window. She started to move towards it, but Rick grabbed the crook of her elbow.

"Leave it."

Reaching the edge of the neighborhood, they found the trees in front of them to have rope weaved throughout them, intricate enough to stop any mindless creatures from being able to get through.

"Your people do this?" Michonne asked Noah, impressed.

"Wanted to." He smiled faintly, glad to see a sign that his people had evidently made it long enough to set it up. "They must have."

While making their way through, Noah hissed in pain as a sharp barb caught his forehead, giving him a thin cut just above his left eyebrow.

Once out of the trees, Rick turned to Noah. "They have spotters? Snipers?"

Noah floundered for a second, trying to recall. "Uh, we built a perch, on a truck. Sometimes it's out front."

Glenn took out a pair of well used binoculars, looking out at the gate to Shirewilt. With a frown, he lowered them. "Not today."

Noah swallowed back the knot in his throat, wanting to race toward the gated community, but reluctantly followed the pace Rick set.

Behind the rest, Tyreese fell back to walk beside Nye.

"You're being awful quiet." He said, tone inquiring.

Nye shrugged limply, looking at him as she continued on. Tyreese frowned, noting the paleness in her cheeks and the way her pupils were blown wide. If he didn't know any better he would assume she was high.

Once at the gate, panels of metal welded on for more security, Noah leaned in, listening for any sounds of life with wide eyes. His breath hitched after a few seconds, turning back to the group. "You hear that?" He croaked,

No, because there wasn't a single peep to be heard on the other side.

Glenn climbed up to side of the gate, looking over the edge. His face fell, as his eyes darted all around before he gave the group a minuscule shake of his head.

Noah choked on air, rushing to climb over the fence himself. While he struggled Rick called for him to come down, not trusting that the young man would be met by nothing once over. Walkers were still a concern despite the walls.

After Noah the rest rushed to follow, getting to see firsthand what was left of his home. As soon as her feet hit the ground, Nye looked up, and froze.

The neighborhood wasn't just empty, it was destroyed. Houses had been scorched, bodies were left in the front yard to decay in the sun. And as if they needed anything more to prove this wasn't Walkers, someone had spray painted "Wolves not far" between every few houses.

With his limp only slowing him down slightly, Noah ran, likely hoping to find his own home in a better state than the rest, but the odds weren't in his favor.

Michonne did her best to hide the trembling in her bottom lip, but it was clear to everyone. She had hoped so deeply for a safe place, but like all the ones before, Shirewilt proved to be fruitless.

Noah collapsed in the middle of the street, holding his head as he sobbed. Tyreese tried comforting him with a hand on his shoulder, but Noah shrugged in off.

"I'm sorry, Noah. I truly am."

Nye trudged over to a spot in the pavement, where a bright happy sun was drawn in sidewalk chalk. After a few seconds of looking at it, she inhaled sharply, scuffing the tip of her shoe across it with a depressing realization. The chalk was bright and untouched. It had been drawn after the most recent rain shower.

If they had been maybe a week earlier, Noah's people could still be alive.

"We should see if there's anything we can use and head back." Rick's voice rumbled lowly.

"Then what?" Glenn asked sharply, agitated by everything seeming to go wrong.

"We should make a quick sweep." Rick reiterated, ignoring Glenn's question, and doing his best not to dwell.

"I'll stay with him." Tyreese spoke softly, nodding at Noah who was in no state to investigate his lost home any further.

Nye picked a patch of road that didn't have any bloodstains, and sat down, her back to everyone else. Her message was clear, she wasn't moving from her spot.

"Carol, you copy?" Rick asked into the walkie.

" _We're here_."

"We made it." He looked around, heart heavy. "It's gone."

With the sun beating down on her neck, Nye turned away from where it was beaming down. As she shifted, a crack in the pavement caught her attention. Growing its way through the crack, and doing its best to stay alive, was a tiny flower.

It was a light pink, that got slightly darker as it reached the middle. Gently, she tipped the head up, looking over the small yet determined plant. In the back of her head, she identified it as a Cosmos. When glancing up, she saw a bushel of them, growing next to the road.

Looking back down at the one coming through the concrete, Nye felt something edge closer to the fine line she was operating on. It toed the line, almost crossing it, but barely holding on, just like the tiny flower.

She didn't look forward to when it finally crossed, knowing that she would be a burden on all those around her when it inevitably did. All she could do for now, was hope and pray that whatever fraying string that was keeping her sewn together wasn't going to snap just yet.

In the meantime, she just had to be like the flower. Detached, but still surviving.

"This isn't the end." Tyreese promised the devastated young man behind her, having just given an inspired speech that she had entirely missed, too focused on the flowers.

Slowly nodding, Noah sniffled and stood, looking out down the road.

"There you go. That's right." Tyreese said encouragingly.

Nye glanced back at them, twirling a few plucked Cosmos between her fingers absentmindedly.

"Hey, we should-" Tyreese began to say, before Noah started to sprint off.

Calling after him, Tyreese gave chase, leaving Nye to follow. Though she walked slower than the other two, going at a leisurely pace. It was clear where he he was going, but it didn't mean it was a good idea.

Somehow even with the limp in his leg, he managed to make it to his house faster than the other two. Though it could have been because he actually knew where to go. When she caught up with them, Tyreese had just grabbed Noah's shirt, keeping him from running inside.

"Hey, hey." Tyreese panted, trying to gain the other's attention.

Noah shook his head, eyes not leaving the two story home he grew up in. "This is my house." He argued, trying to get past the bigger man.

"It's not gonna be how you remember it, trust me." Nye sighed, moving to stand in front of him as well, helping to block him off.

Tyreese nodded affirmingly. "She's right, you don't want to go in there."

"Yes, I do. Let me see it." Noah yelled hoarsely, glaring up at Tyreese.

After a moment of consideration, Tyreese yielded. "Us first."

Inside the house was the thick smell of dust and decay, a smell that Nye was sure would never come out of their clothes after how much they encountered it. Putting aside the way the air around them felt suffocating, it would have passed as a regular untouched home. But entering the living room changed that. In the middle of the floor, laid a female corpse, a gouge in the side of her head keeping her from getting up.

Noah staggered past them, limping over and falling to his knees beside the body. Hands shaking, he pulled a quilt off of the sofa nearby, laying it over the top half of the body to keep the face and hole in her head out of sight.

"I tried to come back sooner. I tried." Noah whispered, curling in on himself.

Nye ducked her head, tugging on her goggles uncomfortably as the small photograph of her mother became heavier in her pocket.

Without the other two noticing, Tyreese slipped off further into the house, finding his way into Noah's brothers' room.

Unable to bite her tongue any longer, Nye looked at Noah sadly.

"I'm so sorry No-"

Echoing through the house, and making it back to them, was a guttural scream of pain.

 _Tyreese_.


	44. Turn it off

Stretched ahead of them was a seemingly endless road. The heat making a thin mirage down before them, always out of reach. No running cars, they had long since burnt the last of the gas out, and still a long ways to go. Rick had told them that the plan was to still make it to Washington, which was almost a hundred miles away.

Nye kept her gaze on the ground, her clothes stained red from what had happened the day previous. The sticky feeling of blood caked her shirt against her body, but she ignored it dully, knowing the rest of her was just as stained.

She could still vividly feel the way Tyreese's arm weighed in her hands, limp and going cold.

Taking a look over her shoulder, she watched who walked in the back of the group, hoping to avoid everyone else's questions and worried looks.

But everyone knew that, after what happened, things were looking even grimmer.

...

 _Noah's young brother, now long dead, dropped to the floor after he gave it a sturdy blow to the head. The Walker ceased moving, Tyreese's still warm blood dripping from its mouth._

 _Slumped against the wall and sliding down, Tyreese held his left arm, where a chunk was now missing._

 _"Get Rick!" Nye ordered shrilly to Noah, immediately removing her belt to make a tourniquet. Kneeling next to the man, she fastened it on tightly while Noah ran to do as told._

 _"You're okay. You're okay. You're..." Nye trailed off, blinking away the way her vision warped at the sight of his bite._

 _Tyreese gasped and panted in agony, looking down with a terrible fixation on the visible muscle and tendons revealed by the chunk missing._

 _"I-I'm no-not gonna-"_

 _"Shut up! Shut up right now!" Nye nearly screamed, ripping off her flannel and holding it to his arm, her crossbow tossed aside when she got the article off. "Think about Sasha! She just lost Bob, she's not losing you!"_

 _Tyreese groaned softly, much paler than even seconds ago. His eyes fluttering shut, either from the pain or shock, he didn't see another Walker approach. Both had let their guards down, forgetting that the door had been left wide open, vulnerable to anything that might come their way._

 _A high pitched snarl was all her warning. Whipping around, Nye had to release Tyreese's arm and instead wrestle to keep the tall male Walker off of her. Things could have been handled quickly, but as her hand reached for her pistol, it came up empty. In her haste to get off her belt, the gun must have fallen out._

 _Having been crouched low to the floor, the Walker had a severe height advantage, and was able to knock her down onto her back. Above her it snapped its jaws, leaning in much too close for comfort. Giving a short scream, she kicked up at it with wide eyes. The commotion finally enough to have Tyreese manage to crack open his eyes._

 _With a mighty push, she finally got the surprisingly strong Walker off, scrambling away from it as it tried regaining its balance. As she was in the midst of frantically looking over the toy scattered floor for her gun, she was caught off guard when a gunshot rang out._

 _Her head shot up, looking through her messy bangs at Tyreese, who on shaking legs held her pistol, aimed at where the Walker now laid on the floor. His left bleeding freely, he lowered his right arm and dropped her prized gun to the floor, following it soon after._

 _"Ty!" She screamed, crawling over to him and pushing his unconscious body over onto his back._

 _He was sweating, and his breathing was labored and slow. Shaking her head stubbornly, Nye knew if they didn't get rid of the infected bite now, it would be too late. She didn't want to believe it was already past the point of no return._

 _"You'll be okay. You'll be okay." She whispered thickly, reaching for the big knife he kept on his belt. "Hold on for me. Hold on so I can get you back to Sasha."_

 _Holding the knife right under his elbow, she swallowed back the memory of blood dancing on the back of her tongue, from the last time she tried to save someone._

 _"D-don't die." She breathed, eyes burning with the itch of tears. "That's your only job."_

 _She moved to press the blade down, but she froze, barely catching what left his mouth._

 _"'ll do m' best..." He sighed, words slurring and eyes still closed._

 _Nye barked a shocked and hopeful laugh, sniffling harshly as she nodded strongly. "_ Good _."_

 _Further into the house, a door slammed open, thundering footsteps rushing towards her and Tyreese._

 _"Nye!?"_

 _Rick ran into the room, looking from her, to Tyreese, to the Walkers, and back at her._

 _Arms covered in blood, Nye dropped the knife, looking up at them pleadingly._

 _"Help me."_

 _Acting much faster than she ever expected, in matter of seconds she was holding tightly onto Tyreese's arm along with Glenn. Both holding it out away from his body, as Michonne took her sword and raised it high._

 _"You hold him!"_

 _"I got it!"_

 _"Go! One hit, clean!"_

 _Clenching her eyes shut, all Nye felt was the way his arm went limp, as warm blood splattered across her face._

 _Tyreese watched them through cracked eyes, not grasping what was truly going on, as he had a muddled encounter with ghosts only he could see. While Beth, Bob, and Lizzie and Mika were telling him it was okay, that it was_ better _to just let go, The Governor And Martin were there too, telling him what a coward he was, and that this was the easy way out._

 _Carrying him out of the house and through the neighborhood was easily the hardest part. He was the biggest person in the group, weighed down by dense muscle. Rick and Glenn worked together to hold him upright while everyone else cleared the path in front of them._

 _Nye's fingers were slicked in blood, but her aim never faltered as she took headshots at the Walkers in their way._

 _Breaking the chain on the gate, Rick passed Tyreese off to Noah while he and the rest took out out the dozen or so Walkers that had been pressed up to the gate hungrily after hearing the gunshots._

 _"Stay with us, now. Stay with us!" Rick yelled as he and Glenn took him back, taking on the challenge of getting him through the rope weaved between the trees. The once considered helpful trap now became an immeasurable burden._

 _Glenn hopped into the car first, grabbing and pulling Tyreese's bottom half into the back while Rick pushed him in the rest of the way. Everyone got into the car in record time, Nye and Glenn keeping Tyreese upright in the backseat. Rick whipped out the walkie, holding it to his mouth as he started the car._

 _"Carol, we're at the car! We need to cauterize the arm and wrap it. Get Sasha and the kids away. They don't need to see this!"_

 _Nye took what was left of his arm and tightened the tourniquet, ignoring the puddle of blood it subsequently spilled into her lap, and rewrapped her flannel around the end of the stump, trying to keep anymore blood from leaving him._

 _"Glenn!"_

 _He didn't need to be told what to do, he just silently rushed to help her hold the stump tightly. Their hands working together to make the barrier between the exposed flesh and outside air that Tyreese now lacked._

 _Flooring it, the wet ground gave away under the back tires, leaving the car stationary. "Come on, come on, come on, come on!" Rick growled and he switched the gear to forward instead. The car shot ahead, hitting the wreck they had parked by. As they hit the abandoned moving truck, it busted the back door open, letting what was inside tumble out onto the hood of their car._

 _Dozens of limbless torsos showered on them, smearing browning blood over the windshield. They snarled at the horror-struck group, wiggling around as best they could, with Ws carved deeply into their foreheads._

 _"Rick." Nye called, eyes locked with a pair of dead ones._

 _"Yeah." Rick muttered, barely audible, as he reversed the car and steered them out of the woods and back onto the road._

 _As they sped down the road, Nye kept her eyes on Tyreese's chest, the way it still rose and fell, despite it being slow._

 _With chapped lips, he broke the silence with a feeble whisper._

 _"Turn it off."_

 _Everyone shared worried and confused looks, unable to hear what he was hearing. After a few seconds, Nye cleared her throat and smiled at him the best she could._

 _"Okay Ty, we'll turn it off. You just gotta stay awake though, okay?"_

 _Tyreese slowly looked at her, but there was something in his eyes that made her believe it wasn't really her he was seeing. But he nodded slowly, and she took a bit of comfort in that._

 _"I'm sorry." Noah whispered to everyone, head hung low as he blamed himself for what had transpired. "I-I am so-"_

 _"Don't." Nye snapped. "Don't apologize yet. You can say it to him later."_

 _Whether Noah actually believed Tyreese would make it, or he just didn't want to argue, he went quiet._

 _At the long drive ahead, and the small amount of medical supplies they had left, Nye tried ignoring the odds, in favor of hoping beyond hope that maybe she could really make a difference this time, and save the life of someone she cared for._

...

"Mom."

Nye hummed absently back at Toby, eyes straight forward. She rubbed her fingers together, still feeling the residue of blood left on her hands.

He pursed his lips, wrapping his hand around her arm to get her attention. Mason stood back as he watched, close enough to catch the hushed question Toby hurled at her.

"Why haven't you cried?" He demanded to know, concerned as she blinked blankly at him.

Looking over her shoulder, back at where Maggie walked, then where Sasha trudged slowly behind the rest, she clicked her jaw sadly. Turning back to her boys, she smiled pitifully.

"I can't. Not yet."

Toby scowled, while Mason only frowned, not understanding what she meant.

Breaking her arm out of his grip, Nye slowed to walk by Sasha in the back, looking her over worriedly.

"You doing alright?"

Sasha scoffed, masking a sniffle. Lips upturned in a bitter smile, she shrugged stiffly. "What do you think?"

Nye didn't say a word, only dragged her eyes to Sasha's left.

Walking next to her was Abraham, the strongest man in the group, physically at least. In his hands he gripped the leather handles of a rusted wheelbarrow they miraculously found.

Under a blanket, and resting in the the wheelbarrow, was the sleeping form of Tyreese.

Nye gave Sasha an apologetic look, gently reaching over and tucking Tyreese's right arm back across his torso so that it didn't dangle over the edge anymore.

Sasha shook her head, taking a deep breath to calm down. "No, I'm sorry. I just-" She trailed off, voice cracking. "I just can't lose him."

Nye braced a hand on the small of her back. "You won't. I promise."

Sasha watched Tyreese sleep soundly, no longer as pale as he had been the day before. "And I have you to thank for that."

Nye's small smile dimmed, and she looked to the ground instead of meeting Sasha's gaze. "Yeah... well it was a long time coming."

With her eyes casted at the ground, Nye spotted a small shadow a few feet in front of her. Watching the way it wobbled made her grow concerned. With a quick soft spoken few words to Sasha, Nye left her to approach the owner of the shadow.

"Pup?"

Lydia looked up at her wearily, fingers playing with the fraying ends of her jacket. Nye put the back of her hand to the girl's forehead, feeling how hot she was, as if the flushed face covered in sweat wasn't enough to go off of.

"Hun, you're burning up. Why don't you take off that jacket."

Lydia jumped, holding her arms closer to her body. And with her own history, Nye could tell what this was about. Steeling herself, Nye started to take off the pull-over she borrowed from Glenn after her flannel was beyond ruined by Tyreese's blood. The sweat lined skin prickled with goosebumps as it met the air, and while she tied the pull-over around her waist, she could hear Lydia gasp quietly.

The girl had yet to see the state Nye's right arm was in, and was left to take it in with a stunned silence.

Nye timidly ran her hand down her right arm, looking at and feeling the raised, and the sunken skin of her scars. Giving a reassuring look to the girl, Nye motioned to help get her jacket off.

Still hesitant, Lydia reluctantly let Nye unzip it, and pull her arms out. Like the brunette, she shivered when it came off.

Lydia's arms were worse than Nye's. Thin strips of pale skin littered them, crisscrossing from her shoulders all the way down to her wrists.

Nye's right hand carefully slipped into her left, interlocking their fingers together securely. Swinging their arms gently, Nye gave her hand a squeeze.

"See, nothing to worry about."

...

Forty miles. A whole forty miles they had travelled in the span of three weeks. Only for some of it were they fortunate enough to have some shade casted by thick clouds. The pace they set was slow, it had to be, for Tyreese's sake. Said man was quiet for the most part ever since he was able to keep conscious, usually only ever sharing whispered words with Sasha. No one pressed him for how he was feeling, he had lost the bottom half of his left arm after all.

Surprisingly it was Lydia who was ever able to talk to him and get steady responses. Her own experience with having to always move forward, despite injury, was one that helped her understand Tyreese's feelings a bit better.

When supplies ran dangerously low, Maggie and Tyreese weren't given any instructions, but they both were strong enough to pick themselves up and help find anything useful.

The group dispersed into the woods, hoping to find food and water. They only had a bottle left, and it wasn't even full.

Maggie went with Glenn, Carol, Sasha and Tyreese. Abraham went with Rosita, Tara, and Noah. Rick went with Michonne, Carl, and of course Judith. Nye took Mason and Toby with her to try and find edible mushrooms or plants. Samson stayed by the road-side, with Eugene and Gabriel. The Saint Bernard laid in the sun, panting and looking nothing like a guard dog at all.

Daryl went off on his own, but wound up with a certain someone sheepishly following him. Keeping a wide enough distance, Lydia watched as Daryl kicked at the ground in random spots, until he found one good enough and plopped down. Getting to work digging, he didn't bother looking up at Lydia as she sat down a few feet away. To her it was obvious what he was doing, so she moved quickly to follow his lead.

He was the first one to find any, but Lydia caught up fast with her own handful of worms.

While Daryl unflinchingly ate the ones he found, Lydia glanced up questioningly.

"Shouldn't we save these, so Nye can fish?"

Daryl finally looked at her. Chewing, he shook his head. "Nah, ain't nowhere for her to catch anythin'."

Lydia nodded, supposing that was true. Taking two worms, she dropped them in her mouth. After chewing them for a few seconds, she went right back to digging in her own hole. The whole time she missed the way Daryl watched her.

"Where'd she find you?"

Lydia paused, then shrugged timidly. "Was hiding in a tree."

Daryl looked her over, noting just how small she was, and how young she must be. But his eyes lingered on the scars marring her arms. "You lose your group?"

Biting her lips, Lydia brushed away her tangled hair. "Kinda." After looking back on the way the Whisperers did things, and how Nye told her about what a group was supposed to be, Lydia shrugged weakly. "...Not really. Nye said they weren't a good group. Said that one should be a family, not... what _they_ were."

Leaning back from her hole, Lydia looked at everything but Daryl. "...She promised she'd keep me safe. No one's said that since my Daddy died."

Daryl softened, sitting up as he brushed his hands off slowly on his ripped jeans. "Well, Nye ain't a liar. She's gonna do everythin' to keep you kids safe."

Lydia nodded slowly, but stopped to give Daryl a curious look.

"How come Mason and Toby don't call you "Dad"?"

Daryl froze, unsure of what the sudden restricted feeling in his chest was. "I ain't their dad." He blurted out, but for reasons he refused to acknowledge, the words made him feel guilty. Like he had betrayed some unspoken rule.

Lydia blinked at him, her amber eyes staring at him in surprise. "You- but I thought-" She shook her head. "Then why's D on her gun?"

"What?"

"Her gun," She reiterated, still looking disbelieving. "The handle's got the letters M, T, and D on the bottom. Mason, Toby, and Daryl." Tugging on her hair, masking half of her face, she watched him. "She never said you weren't. After I heard her sayin' your name in her sleep, I asked about you and she talked 'bout you like you were..." She trailed off slowly, getting quieter, too embarrassed by her wrong assumption to tell him the full truth that she thought he was Nye's husband along with father of her kids.

Clearing his throat, Daryl stood. "I only met Nye after the world went to shit."

"Then who's Mason and Toby's da-"

"They're adopted." Daryl cut her off, kicking the dirt back into the hole he dug. "Toby's is dead, and Mason's was never in the picture." He picked his crossbow up, slinging it over his shoulder. "Doesn't matter, Nye's their mom. That's all there is to it."

Lydia rushed to stand and follow him as he moved to head back to the road. "What's "adopted" mean?"

Daryl stopped, looking back at her over his shoulder. "Means that she didn't have them, but she takes care of 'em. She's raisin' them up, actin' as the mom they lost. But they're her kids, through and through."

Lydia walked beside him, eyes on the ground while she contemplated that. "Does that mean I'm adopted?"

Daryl bit his lip, fisting the strap of his crossbow in search of words. "Best just ask her that."

Lydia nodded, head raising as she hesitantly reached to her left.

Daryl jumped slightly, as he felt Lydia's small hand enter his. He remained stiff, until she looked up at him timidly.

"...Nye wants me to hold hands with her when we walk. Says it safer like that."

While that was the reason she gave Lydia, Daryl knew that Nye most likely just wanted the girl to get more used to _reassuring_ physical contact. Not the harsh strikes she grew up with.

"How old are you, kid?"

"Eight."

With a nod of his head, Daryl held her hand tighter. "Toughest eight year old I ever met."

"Had to be. She didn't let us be weak." Lydia murmured, her eyes much too haunted for her age.

Daryl was positive that whether she realized it or not, Nye saw herself in this girl. And if he was being honest, he was starting to see something familiar too.

...

Finding several cars in the middle of the road, the group scoured through them for supplies, and tried to get some of them started. But following the track record of their luck as of late, the cars were virtually empty, while the gas tanks were dry as a bone.

Sitting in the front seat of one, Nye rifled through its contents halfheartedly, not expecting to find anything. Opening the glove compartment, she jerked back as a stack of papers fell out. Picking them up, Nye scanned them confusedly, realizing that while they seemed like printed documents, what was written on them sounded like current affairs, going off of a list of grocery stores that were labeled "empty".

"The Kingdom, half their produce... livestock..." Nye murmured with furrowed brows and a frown. "Hilltop, medical supplies... talk to _Jesus_? The fuck does that mean?" She turned the page over, eyeing the crudely drawn map on the back. Near the bottom was a quick note. "Got any questions, talk to Simon, that dick'll set you straight."

Setting down that one, she picked up the rest, something not sitting right with her as she read what looked like the inventory of an armory. It was concerning just how much was listed.

"What's that?"

Nye jumped, too focused on the papers to notice anyone come sit down on the passenger side, let alone that it was Tyreese. Surprised that he was here, talking to her, she stammered for a second, shuffling the papers and putting them back in the glove compartment. "I, uh... you know, I'm not sure actually." Adjusting herself to seem more relaxed, she smiled at him. "How are you doing?"

Tyreese sighed through his nose, looking dejectedly down at his left arm, or lack thereof. "Been better."

Nye swallowed, leaning back as she bit her lip in guilt. "I am so sorry I couldn't-"

"What? Find a cure? Turn back time? You aren't to blame for this, _I_ got _myself_ bit. If it wasn't for you, I probably wouldn't be sitting here right now."

Nye smiled thinly. "Thanks. But if you hadn't shot that Walker, _I_ wouldn't be here."

Tyreese rolled his eyes good naturedly. "Are we just going to go around in circles?"

" _Well_ if we want to go way back, it _was_ me and Carl that saved you and Sasha from the prison catacombs. So I guess I can accept your thank you."

The two shared a comfortable silence, taking a moment to breathe and try to forget all that had happened in the past few weeks. It was short lived though, as Sasha moved to stand at Tyreese's door.

"Rick wants to know what everyone found."

Nye scoffed bitterly, holding up an almost empty bottle of sunscreen as her only find. "Boy is he gonna be just jazzed when he sees my haul."

Finding some semblance of shade, they all sat around, hot and hungry, to let each other know exactly what they already did. The cars were a bust, and they were royally screwed. Though, no one actually said that second part out loud.

Pulling out a bottle of bourbon from his cargo pants, Abraham uncapped it and raised it to his lips.

"So all we found was booze?" Tara asked tiredly, watching Abraham.

Rosita crossed her arms as she sat back. "Yeah."

"It's not gonna help."

"He knows that."

"It's gonna make it worse."

"Yes, it is."

"He's a grown man." Eugene spoke up for the first time in days. "And I truly do not know if things can get worse."

Nye tipped her head back, eyes closed tightly in exasperation. "Ace."

"On it." The teen sighed, leaning over and swatting Eugene in the back of the head.

Peaking an eye open, Nye glowered at him "They can. And will."

As if summoned strictly to prove her point, the bushes rustled, and four snarling dogs creeped through. They barked, almost looking completely feral, if not for the worn out collars still clinging to their necks. A dark reminder that they were once part of someone's family.

Samson rose from his spot next to Lydia, haunches rising as he growled and barked back. It was brave on the Saint Bernard's part, but mostly stupid, for thinking he could take on the four strays.

Tense and ready to defend themselves, most of the group held their knives. But Sasha stood, aiming her rifle at the small pack. With four silenced shots, the dogs dropped, killed instantly by a single hole in each head.

"Sasha!" Tyreese reprimanded, reaching for and forcing the barrel of her gun down.

The woman looked at him, confused, until he nodded at something, drawing her attention to it.

Lydia sat, face hidden in Nye's neck as the brunette tried to comfort the shaking girl. She was used to plenty of killing, but she had never seen a dog slain before. It hit much too close to home, considering for a long time, Samson was her only source of companionship.

Nye whispered soothing words into the girl's ear, watching over her raven locks as Rick stood with a scowl. The former sheriff picked up a branch, and started breaking it off into smaller pieces. When Nye caught on, her eyes widened severely.

"Rick." She implored with one word, shaking her head slowly at him. "You can't be serious."

Rick took a harsh inhale through his nose, dropping the branches. Any relief from that action was quickly extinguished, as he took out a knife, and knelt by the dead dogs.

Lydia started to lift her head, but Nye gently pushed it back down, warning her not to look as Rick started to skin them. Daryl joined him after a beat, clearly not too fond of this either, but aware that it was necessary.

Toby gagged, turning his back to the scene. Next to him Tara did the same, nudging him with her elbow in silent understanding.

Mason winced, but watched, feeling oddly guilty as he did so while petting Samson's matted fur.

The group found themselves eating the foreign meat soon after, ignoring the bizarre taste in favor of filling their stomachs.

Nye glanced between the kids, all of them chewing on the only food that had been able to be provided in awhile, worried about what this might do to them in the long run. Michonne was right, like always, it was dangerous to be out here too long.

They needed a safe place. And they needed to find it soon.


	45. Aaron

"What the fuck." Nye breathed, fidgeting uneasily as the group, minus Daryl, stood in a circle around something extremely suspicious.

Four full gallons, and half a dozen bottles, all full of clear water. The only thing left behind with it, was a piece of paper with the words "From a friend" written boldly on it.

"Should we-" Noah started to ask, only to be cut off by Rick.

"No. Not a chance."

"If we found a pot or something, we could boil it." Tara unhelpfully grumbled, looking at the water longingly.

The bushes shook, and Daryl stepped out of them silently. Nye stared at him in concern, seeing the way his eyes were redder than when he went into the woods. He spotted the water, and before he could ask about it, Rick handed him the paper. Daryl read it, and immediately went on guard.

"What else are we gonna do?" Tara asked, just as exhausted as everyone else.

"Not this. We don't know who left it."

"If that's a trap, we already happen to be in it. But I, for one, would like to think it is indeed from a friend." Eugene said, thirsty enough to chance whatever may happen.

"What if it isn't? They put something in it?" Carol argued, not ready to trust anyone who wasn't currently standing with her.

After a beat, Eugene moved forward and picked up a bottle, unscrewing the cap.

"Eugene!"

"What are you doing, dude?"

"Quality assurance." Eugene explained, raising the bottle to his lips.

With two long strides, Abraham was in front of him, and slapped the bottle out of his hand, stopping him from taking even a sip. Eugene blinked in shock, chin dripping the water that had splashed back at him as it flew from his grip. Abraham scowled, walking back over to where he stood beside Sasha and Tyreese.

"We can't." Rick barked, glaring down Eugene and anyone else he thought might try something.

But before anyone could say anything, or try to come up with some solution, their luck seemed to _finally_ turn around.

Thunder clapped once, and suddenly, like the sky parted, rain showered down on them strongly, soaking them in a matter of seconds.

Nye slowly looked up, blinking as water fell down her face. "Holy shit." She said through a breathless laugh. Closing her eyes, she lavished in the feeling of cool water dousing her.

Mason threw his arms in the air, hollering happily. Toby followed Tara and Rosita's example, and laid down on the road, letting it wash away the blood and grime.

Lydia merely sat down, taking the moment for what it was, a short reprieve from the day-to-day horror in their lives.

Carl covered Judith's head with his hat, grinning along with most of the others. Glenn turned to Maggie, but faltered as he saw her apathetically look out into the woods, unaffected by the rain.

Michonne, Carl, Noah, and Tyreese all reeled back and laughed as Samson shook himself off right next to them, dirty water flying back into their faces.

The only people not basking in the moment, were Maggie, Gabriel, Abraham, Carol, and Daryl. Even Sasha had cracked a smile at their luck.

Opening her eyes, Nye leaned her head back down, smile still there, but fading. Her green eyes, looking misty, locked with her favorite pair of Georgia blues. Daryl stared back at her from across the rest of the group, taking in how the rain had washed away the dirt and blood from her face, revealing red cheeks dusted in freckles. Her eyes fluttered, and she offered him a sad smile, looking back on the past three weeks, and how they had barely spoken a word to each other in that time.

"Everybody get the bags. Anything you can find." Rick shouted over the rain and thunder, needing to keep their priorities straight. Though he himself had been relishing in the water shower along with the others.

As everyone moved to open their bags and bottles to catch water, the wind started to pick up, the rain starting to turn more into a storm. Thunder cracked louder, and more frequent, causing Judith to start crying. Looking up, they saw the dark grey clouds start to form a sort of swirl in the sky.

"Let's keep moving!" Rick ordered, the need for water now less important than the need to avoid the oncoming tornado.

"There's a barn!" Daryl yelled over the wind, nodding back to the woods he just came from.

"Where?!"

As Daryl lead the way, Nye gathered her kids, taking Mason's right hand, and Toby's left, while Lydia clung to the older of the two boys. Soon, the storm was bad enough that the whole group had to cling to each other, just to make sure no one got lost. It was all so loud, you couldn't even hear Judith's cries anymore.

...

The wind howled and slammed against the barn doors, rain flying in through the thin crack between them. The old wooden building was big for a barn, leaving plenty of space for the group to split off from each other, which most did.

Rick, Michonne, Carol, Glenn, Nye, and Daryl sat around a meager fire, doing their best to dry off and warm up. Carl slept next to where Rick sat, holding Judith. Mason was leaned up against a wall close by, Toby and Lydia both laying and sleeping across his lap. Samson of course wasn't far, resting at the eldest's feet. The boys' hats were sitting by the fire, in an attempt to get them dry.

Nye had her goggles hanging around her neck for once, as she scanned over the two polaroids always kept in her pocket, making sure there was no water damage. Her adolescent face beamed back at her, right beside Shepherd's awkward smile. In the other, Beverley's grin was refreshing and bitter at the same time. With half lidded eyes, Nye tucked them back into her jean pocket, wishing not for the first time that she could go back to the days the former was taken.

But if given the chance, it wouldn't even be a question. This world might have monsters in all shapes and sizes, but so long as she made sure her kids were breathing, it was the world she wanted to live in.

Daryl poked around the fire with a stick, but the rain had dampened everything that hadn't been inside the barn, so trying to get them to burn was near impossible.

"I'll try." Glenn reached for the abandoned stick.

"No, too wet." Daryl tiredly shook his head.

Thunder cracked, and Rick silently watched his kids sleep through it, too tired to be roused by the noise.

"He's gonna be okay. He bounces back more than any of us do." Carol softly spoke to their leader, bringing his attention back away from any dark thoughts he may be having.

"I used to feel sorry for kids that have to grow up now. In this." Rick gestured to the leaky barn sheltering them. "But I think I got it wrong. Growing up is getting used to the world. This is easier for them."

"This isn't the world. This isn't it." Michonne argued, looking to a degree fearful.

Glenn peered over his shoulder, at where Maggie laid, trying to sleep. "It might be."

Michonne inhaled, staring at Glenn in betrayal. He used to be the optimistic one of the group, but now...

"It might." He sighed.

"That's giving up."

"It's reality."

Nye shook her head, blocking them out in favor of watching Daryl in concern. The hunter stared numbly into the fire, looking like the very definition of giving up.

"Until we see otherwise, this is what we have to live with." Rick broke up the whispered argument.

They fell silent, leaving everyone still awake to listen to the rain hitting the roof, and harsh winds slam into the old wood.

"When I was a kid..."

Nye looked up, wondering what was possibly left for Rick to say.

"I asked my grandpa once if he ever killed any Germans in the war." He shook his head minutely, mind far back into the memory. "He wouldn't answer. He said that was grown-up stuff, so... so I asked if the Germans ever tried to kill _him_." Rick paused, voice going lower. "But he got _real_ _quiet_. He said he was dead the minute he stepped into enemy territory. Every day he woke up and told himself, "Rest in peace. Now get up and go to war." And then after a few years of pretending he was dead... he made it out alive."

Nye grimaced, fingers fiddling with her goggles uneasily. She didn't particularly like where the moral of the story was leaning.

"That's the trick of it, I think. We do what we need to do _and_ _then_ we get to live. But no matter what we find in DC, I know we'll be okay. Because this is how we survive. We tell ourselves... that _we_ are the walking dead."

The fire lit up the underside of his face, giving him a haunting edge to his intense expression. Nye had long ago realized that Rick wasn't always as stable as he might initially seem, and as he was telling them that to live, they had to be dead, it made Nye extremely uncomfortable with just how close the sentiment was to Lydia's people.

"We ain't them." Daryl finally spoke, voice hoarse from disuse.

Rick nodded faintly, leaning to be in Daryl's line of sight. "We're not them." He agreed, putting a hand on Daryl's shoulder to get the hunter to look at him. "Hey. We're not."

Daryl clenched his jaw, standing. "We ain't them." He uttered softly once more, before walking off further into the barn.

Nye watched him go, sighing through her nose.

With the sounds of the storm outside masking everything else, no one heard the oncoming threat before it was almost too late. Standing by the barn doors, Daryl glanced around, and managed to spot something through the gap between doors, many somethings, actually. A herd close to the size of the one back on the highway those few years ago, marched up to the old wooden doors, slamming into them unforgivingly just as Daryl ran to them himself, throwing his body into it to keep the Walkers from breaking the rusted chain keeping them closed. Maggie, who was the closest, was the first to run to his aid, her body lending it's weight next to him. But it clearly wasn't enough, as the Walkers started getting further between the gap, reaching their arms through and swinging wildly.

Their growls and snarls finally became loud enough to gain the rest's attention.

"Shit!" Rick bark, on his feet and running to the doors in a blink of an eye.

Nye scrambled to get upright, shoes sliding in the muddy ground. Only a few steps behind Abraham, Sasha, Rosita, and Glenn, Nye followed their example and threw herself into the splintering wood. Rain splashed them, falling down sideways as the winds somehow got worse, the wetness causing the ground under their feet to become slick, destroying much of their traction. Soon everyone was up against the door, even the kids who had been awoken by the commotion.

Nye clenched her eyes shut, jaw screwed so tight that she thought it may break. Her back was to the door, the wood digging into her skin painfully, while she kicked her feet to keep them close, as they slid too easily in the mud.

Somewhere in the background Samson was barking unhelpfully, but it still came nowhere near the volume of the monsters outside.

Cracking her eyes open, Nye looked up, meeting the same scared look she surely had on her face. The only problem, was it was her hunter looking back at her.

Heart in her throat, she closed her eyes, unable to face him.

Knowing he was fearful, made this all so much worse.

...

 _Sudden and hard knocks on the door startled Paul, bringing his attention away from his book, and rushing to answer it. When he opened the door, it felt like the wind was punched right out of him. It was almost eleven pm, and he still would have been less surprised to be met with girl scouts than what was really there._

 _A girl stood shivering, the top of her head only reaching his chin, and her small frame curled into itself. Her eyes were cast to the ground, as she nervously shifted from one foot to another. What had him most shocked, was the black eye, busted lip, and almost broken looking nose. The girl was a complete wreck, and before he could ask her anything, she was talking._

 _"Are you the guy with the room-mate ad thing up?" She rushed out, her voice surprisingly coarse, and deeper than expected._

 _"Uh- yeah. Yeah, that's me. I'm P-"_

 _"Paul. I know." She spat out, not upset, but clearly in pain as she winced and held her chest tighter. He suddenly realized she was probably hurt worse than what he could see._

 _"Do I need to call someone, or-"_

 _"Has anyone moved in yet?"_

 _Paul blinked, stuttering for a second. "No they, uh, haven't. Why?"_

 _The girl finally looked up at him, pinning him in place with a pair of green orbs that looked much too mature for her age. But then, as he looked closer, he was surprised once more. Despite what he originally thought, the girl actually looked more like a woman upon further inspection._

 _"I... I need a place to stay."_

 _He opened his mouth, but she started to ramble fearfully._

 _"I have a job. I can pay rent and whatever, I just need somewhere I don't..." She trailed off, looking back down as rain dripped from her hazel hair, darkened by the water held there. "...I don't have to worry."_

Worry about who did this to you. _Paul supplied internally. Opening the door wider, he nodded inside._

 _"Come on, I'll make us some tea."_

 _It took until they were sat quietly at his table, sipping some chamomile tea, that he finally thought to ask._

 _"How old are you?"_

 _She jumped, and hid a wince as it jostled her bruised body. "Oh, I'm eighteen."_

 _Paul hummed, setting his mug down. "Aright. I just have one more question."_

 _The girl swallowed, anticipating him to ask who was responsible for her current appearance. "O-okay."_

 _"What's your name?"_

 _She paused, thrown by his avoidance of questioning her cuts and bruises. "My name?"_

 _He nodded, sipping his tea._

 _"O-oh. It's Niagara. But, um, most people just call me Nye."_

 _Paul smiled, standing and putting his mug in the sink. "Okay. It least I'm not just calling you "Rocky" in my head now."_

 _Nye huffed a surprised laugh, caught off guard by this stranger's nonchalance towards her. An ease she wasn't used to settled over her, once she knew he wasn't someone who was going to pry. Not at first anyway._

 _Paul turned his back to the sink, leaning on it as he braced his hands on the edge of the counter. "Okay, when can you start to move in?"_

 _Nye's mug slowly fell from her lips, her eyes widening as she stared at him in restrained hope. "Really?"_

 _Paul shrugged. "Yeah, why not."_

 _Nye bit her lips together, pushing down what he was sure to be a beautiful smile. Shooting to her feet, she ran to the door, stepped outside, and rushed right back inside holding a duffel bag. She sheepishly fiddled with the strap, face flushing. "I-is tonight okay?"_

 _Paul smiled and shook his head amusedly. "Yeah, tonight's fine Nye."_

 _Again, for the second time that night, someone banged on the door, rattling the decorative knocker hanging, which was throttled shortly thereafter when no one immediately answered._

 _Nye set down her mug and bolted, face drawn in disbelief, as she swung the door open. A smaller form barreled into hers, gripping her tightly, and despite the way she winced and grimaced in obvious pain, she embraced the new arrival just as hard. They both swayed gently, and Paul watched in mild fascination._

 _"How did you get here?" Nye mumbled into the boy's hair._

 _"Rode my bike." He answered back, pulling away to take in the damage. "I'm gonna fucking kill him, I swear-"_

 _"Honey," Nye laughed, petting his disheveled brown hair down. "Calm down."_

 _The boy, who seemed to be in his teens, frowned and fell silent, his gaze flickering to every injured part of her._

 _"And are you seriously telling me you rode all the way out here,_ in the rain? _" Nye asked, tone begging for him to say he was joking._

 _He shifted, face turning a hue darker as he muttered a hushed affirmation, as if the soaked clothes wasn't enough evidence. As he moved to step closer to the pair, t_ _he floor creaked under Paul's feet, making the boy jump and narrow his eyes._

 _"Who the fuck are y-"_

 _Nye slapped a hand over the boy's mouth, muffling the rest as she chuckled uncomfortably. "This is Paul, the guy who I was talking to you about." She hissed the last few words._

 _The boy nodded slowly, no longer staring at the man so standoffishly. A few words came through her hand, hindered by it and made totally undecipherable. When she let him go, albeit hesitantly, he rubbed his jaw as he glared heavily at the older man._

 _Paul smiled tensely, glancing from him to Nye a couple of times before the boy finally spoke._

 _"You letting her stay?"_

 _"Ye-"_

 _"Good." He nodded sturdily, taking Nye's hand and dragging her over towards the couch. "You got a first aid kit?"_

 _"Yes I-"_

 _"Where?"_

 _Paul scratched the back of his head. "Uh, in the hall closet."_

 _The boy wordlessly walked off, in search for the kit. Nye sheepishly ducked her head, clearly a bit embarrassed._

 _"Sorry about him."_

 _Paul waved her off. "It's no problem, but uh, who exactly was that?"_

 _Nye perked back up, turning her head toward where the boy disappeared off to. "That was Shepherd. My little brother."_

 _Paul frowned in concern. "Does he, I mean, you know..."_

 _"Get the shit get kicked out of him?"_

 _Paul flinched, but hummed in a confirming way._

 _Nye barked a mirthless laugh, looking down at the floor beneath her scuffed shoes. "God, how much I wish I could say no." She raked a hand through her hair, catching a few tangles, but forcing her fingers onwards down to the tips. "It's not as bad, but it's still..."_

 _"Too much."_

 _Nye looked up, blinking away a misty sheen that looked one step away from being true tears. "Yeah, exactly."_

 _When Shepherd came back with the first aid, he wasted no time patching her up as best he could. And as Paul watched, he got the feeling that there was a much bigger story behind these siblings than what was let on._

...

Everything was wet, and uncomfortable. But no one was able to keep awake long after their fight to keep the Walkers out. After an agonizing twenty minutes, which easily felt longer than an hour, the Walkers had passed, losing interest in them and being steered away by the high winds.

Nye's head snapped upwards as she woke up. Vision blurry, she rubbed at her eyes, her palms pressing painfully into them. With a deep breath, she looked down, being met by the tops of three heads.

Lips twitching, too tired to give a full smile, Nye gently moved her kids off of her one by one. Something in her nearly melted, as Mason unconsciously curled his arms around Toby and Lydia.

Shuffling brought Nye to look up, spotting Maggie walking to the doors, holding the pink music box Carl had recently gifted her after finding it in the abandoned cars. Raising to her feet, Nye quietly jogged over and tapped her arm.

"Care for company?"

Outside looked like a war zone. Trees had splintered and fallen, leaving debris everywhere. Walkers laid, mangled and twisted by the winds, most of them looked like they didn't have a single unbroken bone. Maggie and Nye didn't bother killing them as a result, after all there was no chance of any of them to get up and attack. The ground sunk in with every step, mud caking their shoes after only a few paces.

Maggie lead the way, stopping a short walk away from the barn, and picking a collapsed tree at seemingly random. Patting the spot next to her, Maggie signaled for Nye to sit.

Dropping down, Nye let out a sigh as she crossed her ankles and rested her elbows on her knees. Before them stretched on a thick field, its perimeter enclosed by the woods they had just been hiding in for the past three weeks. The sky was clear, having used up all of its bad weather last night, now they were left with only a couple wispy clouds floating along.

Pinks and oranges mingled as the sun rose, slowly casting a gentle light on them. While Maggie took it in, Nye turned her head, watching the other brunette instead.

"Why are we here?"

"For this." Maggie plainly answered.

Nye looked back out, fingers idly toying with the tears in her jeans. "...Do you want to talk about it?"

Maggie inhaled, knowing that she was going to ask that. "What's the point?"

Nye paused, pondering that for a moment. Slowly reaching in her pocket, she pulled out one of the photos. "I... I learned that it helps."

Maggie glanced down at the picture, having never seen it before, as she had been busy keeping Nye from succumbing to hypothermia at the time that the two boys had shared it with the group.

"I ever tell you about him?" Nye asked, despite knowing the answer.

Maggie shook her head. "No, but Glenn's mentioned him."

Nye nodded at that, not surprised. "I lost him long before any of this. And I'm not going to lie, it still hurts. But given time, it'll start to hurt less. I promise."

Passing it over, Maggie took the photo gently, fingertips barely even touching the edges, fearful of somehow damaging it. It had been taken at such a high point in Nye's life, shown obviously by the bright smiles on her and Shepherd's faces.

"How old was he?"

Nye stiffened, and then sagged imperceptibly. "He was sixteen." She uttered under her breath.

Maggie bit her lip, handing the photo back. "I'm s-"

"Don't." Nye cut her off carefully, tone giving a faint warning of oncoming tears. "You of all people have no reason to apologize."

Watching her tuck it away back in her pocket, Maggie held her arms closer to her body as she asked the question that had been gnawing on her mind for weeks.

"You haven't cried. Why?"

Nye smiled bitterly, refusing to look up at the only remaining Greene. "I just can't. Not yet."

Maggie furrowed her brows, moving to ask _why._ But Nye finally let go the reason.

"When we're safe. When we're not always looking over our shoulders. When my kids have a bed to sleep in again _, then I can cry._ " She scoffed at herself, shaking her head and kicking up some mud. "Then I can cry about _everything_."

The prison falling. Hershel. The baby she found back in that cabin. Terminus. Bob. The message left agonizingly in her own skin. The loss of a cure. Beth. Tyreese's bite and amputation.

When the dust settles, and the constant noose tightening around her neck finally goes slack, when she can _rest,_ that's when she can cry. Because otherwise, she would only become a burden to the group once she let it all go.

Maggie nodded, knowing where she was coming from. Reaching over, she started to wind up the music box. Nye glanced over at it curiously, having thought it didn't work.

"Daryl fixed it." Maggie explained, watching the tiny ballerina inside as the mechanisms whirred while she spun the key.

Nye cracked a small smile, humming understandingly. "He's good at things like that."

Opening the box, the two women waited for it to start playing, but all it provided was a metallic click. The ballerina didn't move, and not a single note played.

"You got to be kiddin' me." Maggie chuckled.

Sharing a rare laugh together, the women moved to stand and head back to the barn. Maggie temporarily set down the box to push herself up. Nye followed her, securing her holster as she stood. When Maggie went to pick the pink box back up, something made her freeze.

"Hey."

A fear Nye had almost forgotten the feeling of, coursed through her, turning her blood to ice and her lungs to stone. Both women whipped around, guns out and aimed at the unknown person who the voice belonged to. A man, with short curly brown hair walked slowly toward them, but stopped when he saw the guns. He had his hands up, clearly afraid of being shot, but also seeming like he didn't fully believe they would do it, as he resumed taking hesitant steps closer.

"Hi. I didn't mean to interrupt." He spoke again, hands still high away from the gun tucked in his own holster. "Good morning. My name is Aaron."

Nye exchanged bewildered glances with Maggie, eyes wide, with brows drawn low. The man was absurdly clean, his clothes not having a single blood stain or tear. Somehow, someway, this man looked like he was straight from 2010.

"I know, this is... Stranger, danger, but... I'm a friend." Aaron assured, close enough now for them to see that he was cleanly shaven too. "I-I'd like to talk to the person in charge... Rick, right?"

Nye went rigid. "The fuck do you know his name?"

"Why?" Maggie asked lowly, gun never wavering.

Aaron smiled, wide and appearing genuine. "I have good news."

With another click, the music box began playing.

Nye and Maggie looked to each other once again, wondering how things went so unexpected, so fast. All the short brunette knew though, was there was a strong feeling in her gut.

But, the weird thing was, it was a _good_ feeling for once.


	46. Apple sauce

Creeping through the barn doors, Nye swallowed and slowly approached their leader, now awake along with everyone else.

Glenn spotted her, and stood quickly. "Nye, where's Maggie?"

Nye's lips pinched together in some weird cross between a smile and a grimace. "She's fine, but, um... I need you guys to all listen."

That caught their attention, and the barn fell quiet as everyone looked to Nye expectantly. Rick, holding Judith, stepped in front of her, face drawn quizzically.

Nye swallowed again, a stubborn lump sitting there and refusing to leave.

"Mom? Are you okay?" Toby carefully asked.

Nye took a deep breath, stiffly holding out her hand. "Gimme your gun."

Rick raised a simi-surprised brow, but with his free hand did as she asked, trusting the girl enough to follow her orders for once.

Nye hastily tucked the heavy colt python in the back of her belt, far enough away from his reach. "Okay, I just need everyone to stay cool, alright? We're not stupid, so just... hear him out."

No one could get a word in, before Maggie was peaking her head through the door.

"Hey. Everyone..." She called, easing herself into the barn with Aaron behind her. "This is Aaron. We met him outside."

Everyone but the two brunettes, Rick, Eugene, Gabriel, Lydia, and Tyreese armed their weapons, staring at the man in shock. Daryl acted fast, breezing past them to look around outside the door, checking for more unwanted strangers.

Nye couldn't help but give him an unimpressed look, annoyed in his lack of faith in the women's abilities.

"He's by himself. We took his weapons and we took his gear." Maggie explained calmly, while Aaron obediently stood still with his hands raised.

After he was satisfied with his search, Daryl came up behind Aaron and roughly patted him down, making sure the women hadn't missed anything.

Aaron gave a faint and uncomfortable grin as he shifted his weight around. "Hi."

No one recuperated his greeting, and almost as if to drive the point home for how on guard they were, Judith started crying. Rick, face set in a heavy scowl, passed her off to Carl, never taking his eyes off the man.

"It's nice to meet you." Aaron said as he motioned to shake Rick's hand, voice stilted from the weight of so many guns aimed right at him. He knew to step back when several guns were cocked with no hesitation.

Samson growled in warning, but for some reason, didn't move from his relaxed position laying in a pile of hay.

Blinking in a stupefied manner, Mason looked to Nye incredulously. His expressing screaming " _where the fuck did you find this guy_?".

Nye shrugged limply, having nothing to offer other than her own exasperated look.

"You said he had a weapon?" Rick finally spoke, words aimed at Maggie, but eyes always sticking to Aaron.

Maggie passed the small handgun they took from him over to Rick. The former sheriff glanced down at it, counting the bullet before taking them out. Putting them in his pocket, he then tucked the gun itself in the back of his belt.

"There's something you need?"

"He said has a camp. A close one. He wants us to, like, try out for membership." Nye said as she fiddled with her crossbow hanging at her hip.

Aaron chuckled sheepishly. "I wish there was another phrase. 'Try out' makes it sound like we're some kind of a dance troupe. That's only on Friday nights." He joked.

Nye's eyebrows shot up, and she had to genuinely fight a smile. Trick or not, this guy had an amusing sense of humor.

When no one else showed signs of a positive reaction, he became serious again. "Um, and it's not a camp. It's a community. I think you all would make valuable additions. But it's not my call. My job is to convince you all to follow me back home."

She wasn't sure what is was, but something about the way he called it "home" was reassuring to Nye.

"I know. If I were you, I wouldn't go either." Aaron amended, not oblivious to the glares he was receiving. "Not until I knew exactly what I was getting into."

Turning to the only person who hadn't been giving him silent glares and scowls, Aaron looked to Nye.

"Nye, can you hand Rick my pack?"

Jumping at the unexpected use of her name, Nye nodded carefully, and held out the brown backpack for Rick to take. She was really curious on how the hell he knew their names. Kneeling down, Rick skeptically looked at the bag as if it was hiding a bomb or something.

"Front pocket, there's an envelope."

Reaching into it, Rick pulled an old envelope from the bag, taking out a stack of sheets from it. From her angle Nye couldn't tell what they were, but as Michonne who stood behind him and had a clear view, saw them, she silently gaped.

"There's no way I could convince you to come with me just by talking about our community. That's why I brought those. I apologize in advance for the picture quality." Aaron laughed awkwardly. "We just found an old camera store last-"

"Nobody gives a shit." Daryl growled, cutting him off.

Aaron shut his mouth, then gave a rocky nod. "You're absolutely 100% right."

Nye gave Daryl a warning look over Aaron's shoulder, lips pursed and brows low. But he ignored it, choosing to continue scowling at Aaron.

As Rick stared at the first picture of the stack, Aaron rushed to go on with his speech. "That's the first picture I wanted to show you because nothing I say about our community will matter unless you know you'll be safe."

Nye finally let her curiosity win out, and she moved to stand behind their leader, next to Michonne. And while the photo was indeed blown out with a white and grey blur over the image, you could still easily make out what it was.

 _Holy shit._

"...If you join us, you will be."

A towering wall, looking to be made out of metal, stood imposingly as it was held stronger by dozens of poles leaned up against it, supporting the heavy barricade.

"Each panel in that wall is a 15-foot-high, 12-foot-wide slab of _solid steel._ Framed by cold-rolled steel beams and square tubing." Aaron told them, nothing in his tone giving away that this was a trick. "Nothing alive or dead gets through that without our say-so."

Rick started to stand, cold gaze locked on Aaron while he palmed the photos.

"Like I said, security is obviously important. In fact, there's only one resource more critical to our community's survival. The _people_." He said vehemently. "Together we're strong. You can make us even stronger."

Rick took measured steps forward, approaching Aaron, who was unaware of Rick's intensions.

"The next picture, you'll see inside the gates. Our community was first construc-"

Snapping his fist out in a flash, Rick sucker-punched Aaron in the jaw, knocking the man to the ground, unconscious.

"Rick!" Nye reprimanded, moving to check that the man was okay.

"So we're clear, that look wasn't a "let's attack that man" look. It was a "he seems like an okay guy to me" look." Michonne snapped quietly, just as upset as Nye.

"We got to secure him. Dump his pack. Let's see what this guy really is." Rick addressed the group, ignoring Michonne.

" _Rick_."

"Everybody else, we need eyes in every direction. They're coming for us. We might not know how or when, but they are."

"Me and Nye, we didn't see him. If he had wanted to hurt us, he could've." Maggie argued, crouched by Nye as she gently turned Aaron over onto his back.

"Rick, this can't be another Tyreese and Sasha situation." Nye said lowly, glaring up at their leader. "You're not the only one with our best interest in mind."

Rick kept on as if he hadn't heard her. "Anybody see anything?"

"Just a lot of places to hide." Glenn sighed, peaking out of the thin gaps between wood panels.

"All right, keep looking."

Carl had emptied Aaron's bag, laying out everything across a work bench over by the stables. Rick walked over, taking a glance at the supplies the man brought. The item that got his attention, was a small orange gun.

"Never seen a gun like that before." Carl said, giving it a curious look as Rick confirmed that it was still loaded.

Rick turned around, silently holding it up at Michonne and Nye, giving them a look of vindication.

Nye frowned, pressing a damp cloth to the edge of Aaron's mouth, where Rick had split his lip.

With a groan, he shifted and came too, blinking owlishly for a second, before smiling in amusement. "That's a hell of a right cross there, Rick." He huffed.

"Sit him up." Rick ordered lowly.

Maggie shook her head. "I think it's better if-"

"It's okay." Aaron assured her, moving to sit upright himself, but unable to with his hands tied behind his back.

"He's fine. Sit him up."

When they finally did, Aaron nodded to himself. "You're being cautious. I completely understand."

"How many of your people are out there?" Rick snarled, marching closer. "You have a flare gun. You have it to signal your people. How many of them are there?"

Aaron looked at the orange gun, and sighed. "Does it matter?"

"Yes. Yes, it does."

Aaron nodded again. "I mean, of course, it matters how many people are actually out there, but does it matter how many people I tell you are out there? Because I'm pretty sure no matter what number I say... eight, thirty-two, four-hundred and forty-four, _zero_... No matter what I say, you're not going to trust me." His voice lowered into a whisper, with a barely there tremble.

"Well, it's hard to trust anyone who smiles after getting punched in the face."

"How about a guy who leaves bottles of water for you in the road?" Aaron remarked sternly.

Nye jumped, head turning to look over by their small amount of supplies, where two of those mystery bottles sat.

Rick didn't say anything to that, he just silently studied Aaron with an ever present scowl.

"How long you people been followin' us?" Daryl barked, hands firmly on his crossbow.

"Long enough to see that you practically ignore a pack of Roamers on your trail." Aaron chuckled stiffly. "Long enough to see that despite a lack of food and water, you never turned on each other. You're survivors and you're _people_."

Nye's lips parted with a breath, as she stood and made her way over to her kids. All three were just as tense as Rick was, not ready to believe something good had come their way. But Lydia did wonder why Samson wasn't reacting badly towards Aaron's presence, as the dog had proved to be a good judge of character in the past.

"Like I said, and I hope you won't punch me for saying it again, that is the most important resource in the world."

"How many others are out there?" Rick asked again, unmoved by what Aaron had to say.

" _One_."

Rick stared at him hard, cracking a bitter and disbelieving smile with a shake of his head.

"I knew you wouldn't believe me. If it's not words, if it's not pictures, what would it take to convince you that this is for real?" Aaron asked, looking around at everyone. Sitting up straighter, he got an idea. "What if I drove you to the community? All of you? We leave now, we'll get there by lunch."

"I'm not sure how the twenty-five of us are going to fit in the car you and your one friend drove down here in." Rick said snidely, like he had caught Aaron in a lie.

But Aaron didn't miss a beat. "We drove separately. If we found a group, we wanted to be able to bring them all home. There's enough room for all of us."

"And you're parked just a couple miles away, right?" Rick asked sarcastically.

"East on Ridge Road, just after you hit Route sixteen." Aaron nodded. "We wanted to get them closer, but then the storm came, blocked the road. We couldn't clear it."

"Yeah, you've really thought this through."

"Rick, if I wanted to ambush you, I'd do it here." Aaron said tiredly. "You know, light the barn on fire while you slept, pick you off as you ran out the only exit. You can _trust_ me."

When he didn't reply, Michonne leaned in to talk with Rick low enough no one else could hear. "I'll check out the cars."

"There aren't any cars.' Rick argued, done putting up with some fantasy he was sure didn't exist.

"There's only one way to find out." She countered.

"We don't need to find out."

"We do." Michonne implored. "You know what you know and you're sure of it, but I'm not."

"Your way is dangerous, mine isn't."

"Passing up someplace where we can live? Where _Judith_ can live?" She whispered sharply. "That's pretty dangerous. We need to find out what this is. We can handle ourselves. So that's what we're gonna do." Her tone left no room for discussion.

"Then I will, too." Glenn sighed, slinging his rifle over his shoulder. "I'll go."

It was quickly decided that the group would split up, all searching but Rick, Judith, Lydia, Samson, and of course Aaron. Sasha tried getting Tyreese to stay put, but he felt like he needed to actually do something that wasn't resting or redoing his bandages.

"The walkies are out of juice. If you're not back in sixty minutes, we'll come. Which might be just what they want. If we're all in here, we're a target." Rick's voice carried as everyone got their gear and marched out the door.

"I've got the area covered." Daryl nodded to him as he passed, clearly as suspicious of all this as he was.

"All right, groups of two, find somewhere safe within eyeshot." Rick ordered, patting Carl on the back when the boy breezed by.

Mason and Toby walked together, but stopped when they noticed someone missing. They, along with Rick, turned around to look back into the barn.

Nye stood, arms crossed and crossbow hanging limply at her hip. "I'm not going anywhere."

Mason tipped his head in annoyance. "Mom-"

"I'm not leaving Rick alone with him." She barked defiantly. "Besides, I need to keep an eye on Lydia."

Mason raised his hands in defeat, walking away while Toby gave her one last skeptical look.

Rick stood by the doors, leaning by them and watching his family split off into what could very well be a trap.

"When the world was still the world, I worked for an NGO." Aaron broke the hush that had fallen over them once the barn was marginally less full. "Our mission was to deliver medicine and food to the Niger River Delta. Bad people pointed guns in my face every other week. You're not bad people." He shook his head surely. "You're not going to kill us. And we are definitely not going to kill you."

"Just because we're good people doesn't mean we won't kill you." Rick rasped, unable to see them anymore. "If my people aren't back in an hour... I'll put a knife in the base of your skull."

While Aaron swallowed, Nye put a careful hand on his shoulder.

"It's a good thing they'll be right back then, huh?"

She and Rick stared back at one another, neither giving any sign that they felt like they were the wrong one.

"Yeah," Rick sighed hoarsely, honestly hoping she was right, if only for them all to come back safe. "we'll see."

...

Nye sat with her ankles crossed, as she focused her attention on braiding together Lydia's matted locks, hoping to keep the stray strands out of the poor girl's face. As her nimble fingers worked, she dutifully ignored Judith's crying, after Rick had stubbornly refused assistance. So struggling with a crying baby in one arm, Rick attempted to grind up a handful of nuts finely enough for Judith to eat.

Bouncing her was doing nothing, as the baby was too hungry to be sedated by anything but food. Rick tried shushing her gently, but her little face went red as she cried louder.

Nye dropped the finished braid, grimacing faintly, feeling awful for the youngest Grimes. But all they could do was wait and hope Aaron was telling the truth.

"You did see the jar of apple sauce in my bag, right?" Aaron spoke up over the cries, his posture tense and uneasy.

All Rick did was glare at the other man, still managing to look terrifying while holding his baby daughter.

"This isn't a trick. This isn't about trying to make you like me. It's self-preservation." Aaron leaned forward, voice the firmest it had yet to be. "Because if the Roamers hear her and come this way, I know I'll be the first to go."

Nye heaved herself up, slinging the strap of her crossbow back over her shoulder. With a pat on the shoulder and a nod over to where Samson laid in the back, she motioned for Lydia to remove herself from the commotion, knowing loud things made the girl anxious. Crossing her arms, she walked over to the men, chewing on her bottom lip as Rick opened the aforementioned jar of apple sauce, taking a spoonful of it, and carrying it over to Aaron.

For the first time, Aaron looked genuinely offended. "You think I'm trying to _poison_ your baby daughter?" He asked incredulously, getting nothing back but Rick's ever present glare. "I'm _tied_ _up_ and you've already expressed a willingness to stab me in the head. How would cruelly killing your daughter in front of you in any way help the situation?" Aaron ranted, nearly reaching a volume loud enough to be considered shouting.

"Maybe she doesn't die. Maybe she gets sick. Maybe you're the only one that can help her and I just lose."

"I _am_ the only one who can help her because I have apple sauce and we all win." Aaron said, his words all running together.

Rick held the spoon to his mouth again, and Aaron immediately shied away from it.

"I hate apple sauce. My mom used to make me eat foods I didn't like to make me more manly. Salmon patties, apple sauce, and onions. She was a very confused woman who tried her damnedest. I just bring the jar to show that we have apple trees nearby."

"Like you said, you'll be the first to go." Rick deadpanned unsympathetically.

Aaron frowned, quickly eating what was on the spoon as fast as he could to get it down.

Rick, satisfied with this, didn't waste anymore time, and started slowly feeding Judith small spoonfuls.

"The community is big enough. We can find a place for you to live where even when she cries, no one, nothing can hear it outside the walls."

"Are there kids?" Nye asked lowly, taking a step closer to the bound man.

Aaron nodded slowly, taking a mental list. "Uh, yeah. There's a few, actually. Ron, Sam, Enid," He tipped his head to the side with a smile, clearly having some familiarity with the girl. "she's new. The Parkers just had a baby a few months ago. Then there's-"

"Is there a school?" Nye eagerly questioned, eyes alight with hope.

"Yeah," Aaron chuckled and nodded his head. "There is, sorta. I mean, it's in a garage, but..."

Nye started to beam, but it froze on her face when she was struck with a thought. The chances weren't even slim to none, but she had to ask.

"Aaron, is there anyone there named Paul, brown hair, blue eyes?"

The hesitantly hopeful tone of her voice gave Aaron pause, as he scanned his memory for anyone by that name. "We have a Paul Chaplin. But he's an almost eighty year old black man."

Nye sagged, nodding in acceptance.

"I'm sorry."

She waved him off, giving a half smile and a tired shrug. "I didn't really expect a better answer." She bit her lip while gazing down at the hay strewn floor. "I haven't seen him since the phone lines went dead."

When they hit the twenty minute mark, Aaron was starting to be visibly put on edge, while Rick began pacing through the barn like a caged animal. But before the leader could start making any more unnecessary death threats towards Aaron, the barn doors rattled and swung open.

When they turned around, they were met with the group, having met back up together on their way back to the barn. Half of them had arm loads of non-perishables, and all of them looked unharmed, or rather, they looked no worse than before they left.

Michonne stood in front of Rick, handing him a can of mashed peas with a triumphant look. "He was telling the truth."

Rick stared back at her, taking the can and weighing it in his hands. Pursing his lips behind his beard, he turned and set the can down with the rest, where they had been piled on the same table holding Aaron's things.

Nye couldn't hold back a smile as she watched Lydia's eyes bug out at all the food. Cans of vegetables, s'ghetti rings, bottles of soda (surely flat by now, but that was the least of their worries), and even a couple bags of dried pasta. The sight of which made Nye's mouth water at the faded memory of fettuccine alfredo, with spinach and grilled chicken-

Her stomach growled at her, silencing the train of thought.

"This, this is ours now." Rick turned to Aaron, picking up and holding another can of mashed vegetables, perfect for Judith.

"There's more than enough." Aaron breathed tiredly, clearly exhausted by Rick's nonstop mistrust.

Then their leader said something that shouldn't have been so surprising. "It's ours whether or not we go to your camp."

Before Michonne, Maggie, Tyreese, or Nye could defend the man and his camp, Carl swooped in.

"What do you mean? Why wouldn't we go?" Carl's voice snapped like a whip, laced with confusion and irritation.

Rick opened his mouth to explain his case, but Michonne was backing Carl up before he could.

"If he were lying, or if he wanted to hurt us... but he _isn't_ , and he _doesn't_. We _need_ this." She shouted softly, eyes wide and mouth drawn in a stern line. "So we're going, _all of us._ Somebody say something if they feel differently."

Nye shuffled by the rest, coming to a stop and clasping her left hand in Michonne's right. Beside them stood Maggie, Sasha, Tyreese, Carl, and once they saw their mother join, Mason, Toby, and Lydia. Everyone else was glancing between them and Rick, not on board enough to stand with them, but not entirely agreeing with Rick either.

"I don't know, man." Daryl spoke roughly from where he stood off to the corner. Right after the words left his mouth, Nye swelled in indignation, not understanding how he could want to pass up an opportunity for the kids to have a secure future. But thankfully, before she said anything and made a fool out of herself, he kept talking. "...This barn smells like horse shit."

The goggle wearing brunette watched in awe, as the most minute, nearly invisible smile graced the hunter's face. It was so small it probably couldn't even be classified as one, but it was the best she had gotten in over three weeks. The sight of it felt like an energy boost shooting up through her veins, and she savored the feeling.

Rick stared at his right hand man, then nodded once. "Yeah. We're going."

Michonne blinked at him in surprise, and heaved a breath of relief.

Turning on his heel, Rick looked down at Aaron. "So where are we going? Where's your camp?"

Aaron hesitated, Adams-apple bobbing as he swallowed. "Well, every time I've done this, I've been behind the wheel driving recruits back. I believe you're good people." He assured. "I've bet my life on it. I'm just not ready to bet my friends' lives just yet."

"You're not driving. So if you want to get home, you'll have to tell us how." Michonne explained calmly, her voice soft but holding an underline warning.

Aaron sighed through his nose, watching Rick lay out a road map on the ground in front of him. He glanced at it, and caved. "Go north on Route 16."

"And then?"

"I'll tell you when we get there." Aaron answered back firmly, not budging on this.

Looking over the map, Rick nodded to himself. "We'll take 23 north. You'll give us directions from there."

Aaron's eyes widened. "That's... I don't know how else to say it... That's a _bad_ idea. We've cleared 16. It'll be faster."

"We'll take 23. We leave at sundown."

"We're doing this at night?" Sasha said, not wholly trusting of the safety in the plan.

"Wouldn't it just be safer to go now?" Tyreese asked. "I was once this guy, remember? Can't we just give him the benefit of the doubt?"

Rick sighed, standing with the map in hand. "Look, I know it's dangerous. But it's better than riding up to the gates during the day. If it isn't safe, we need to get gone before they know we're there."

"No one is going to hurt you. You're trying to protect your group, but you're putting them in danger!"

Rick leaned against one of the wooden beams, shrugging. "Tell me where the camp is, we'll leave right now." He bargained.

Aaron shut his mouth tight, turning his head away and downward when he couldn't bring himself to agree.

Rick nodded, having expected that type of response. "It's going to be a long night. Eat. Get some rest if you can." He ordered, and walked over to a certain brunette.

Nye blinked owlishly at him as he came to a stop right in front of her. Raising her hands, she chuckled awkwardly and inched back. "Uh, Rick?"

Silently, he held out his hand, giving her an unimpressed look.

It took a few seconds to figure it out, but when she did she flushed and fumbled with the back of her belt. "O-oh, yeah, I forgot-" She dropped his colt back into his waiting hand. "Here."

For the first time that day, Rick cracked a smile, unashamedly amused by her embarrassed response to forgetting the huge ass gun tucked behind her waist. Returning it to its rightful place, Rick headed for the doors, going to check the cars.

Once he was gone, and the rest had started to fill up on canned goods, Nye took a seat next to Aaron, s'ghetti rings in hand. With an apologetic frown she nodded at the restraints. "Sorry, I'd untie you if I could."

Aaron gave her a placating smile. "Don't worry about it."

Shoveling some rings into her mouth, she snorted to herself after swallowing. "I'd also offer to feed you, but I only do that after the third date."

Aaron's shoulders jumped with a snort of his own. "Sorry Nye, I'm taken."

" _Oh,_ what's the lucky duck's name?" She teased back, absently scraping the side of the can for the tomato sauce caught in the ridges.

"Eric."

Nye paused, turning her head to the left and raising her brows at him. "No kidding?"

He shook his head, a dopey grin splitting across his face at the thought of his partner. "Nope."

Wiping her mouth clean, she smiled widely behind her sleeve. "Damn, now I _really_ wanna untie you."

Aaron's breathy laugh only made it spread wider.

* * *

 **So, for being such good sports about the painstakingly slow progression of Daryl/Nye, I have decided to reward you guys with next chapter being literally all about those two. It is just a whole ass chapter of development for them. Will it be angst? Fluff? Sexual tension?**

 **What if I told you it's all three :3**


	47. The death of me

_With an eager grin, Nye skipped along down the concrete hallway, flanked on her right by barred windows, sunlight streaking through the metal beams from the early morning sun. Reaching her destination, she quietly crept through the door, out onto the outside catwalk. Walking on her toes, Nye's smile quivered in anticipation as she approached her victim._

 _Daryl sat on watch, unaware of the woman coming up behind him. His legs dangled off the side, rifle sitting limply in his lap as he took lazy drags from a cigarette._

 _Leaping to action, Nye flung her arms over his shoulders, her hands coming out from behind her back, and holding the item she had been hiding there, right in front of their faces. Daryl jumped, going stiff as a flash blinded him for a second, while Nye giggled over his shoulder, her breath tickling his neck and causing goosebumps to rise._

 _Remaining in a slightly stunned silence, he watched her move away from his back, scooting over to sit to his left, cradling the buzzing camera in her hands as a photo slowly pushed out the top. When it was done, she carefully took it out with her fingertips on the very edge, flipping it to face her. She waited for the white to fade into the captured image._

" _D'you know shaking it is a myth?" She asked conversationally. "It doesn't do anything for the picture, and it's best to just leave it be."_

" _Where the hell did you get that?"_

" _Glenn snagged it on the run yesterday, and he let me borrow it."_

 _Daryl hummed lowly, watching with her as the picture slowly appeared. When it finally did, he blinked at it as a slow blush rose up his neck._

 _In the photo, caged on either side by her arms, Daryl's eyes were wide in surprise, the cigarette falling from his mouth (only then did he realize it had fallen during the sneak attack) as he stared dumbly into the camera. But even though he was in the center of the photo, it was the least of his concern or focus. Because over his shoulder was Nye, face flushed as she beamed into the camera, eyes alight with mischief for obvious reasons._

 _The way her arms closed in around him in the photo, the way her dimpled cheek was just barely brushing his scruffy one, and the way both their faces were a hue darker than normal, made the picture read as, well, more than what they really were._

 _Grin falling to a soft smile, Nye stared at it a few seconds longer, before handing it to him._

" _I think you should hold onto it. I've got enough photos weighing me down." She joked, standing and brandishing the camera. "Well, better get this back to Glenn. Later Hotstuff."_

 _And as she walked away, he was too stunned by the new variation to his nickname that he didn't have time to argue with her, before she already disappeared through the door._

 _Looking back down at the photo, he swallowed and sighed, before very gently tucking it in the inner pocket of his vest._

 _He was more than aware of just how hot his face felt, and that someday that woman was going to be the death of him._

…

"It looks like…"

Toby's voice was small, and reminiscent, as the group stood before the RV Aaron had meant to drive them in.

Nye nodded, putting a hand on his shoulder as she looked back on memories of a man too good for the new world. A man that, for a long time, she blamed herself for losing, after not getting there in time. But somewhere along the line, she didn't know when, she had come to accept that the Walkers were to blame that night, not her.

Toby frowned, hand coming up and righting his bucket hat before he ascended the steps into the vehicle. His brother followed right behind, and Lydia rushed after them. Everyone but Rick, Michonne, Glenn, and Aaron got into the RV, finding themselves a place to sit. While the other four piled into Aaron's regular car.

There was a silent buzz of excitement in the RV as Daryl started it up, Tyreese taking the passenger seat with a map unfolded out onto his lap.

Sliding into one of the booths near the kitchenette, and bracing her arms on the table, Nye stared out the window, peeking through the shades. Across from her Mason, then Toby slid in, not intending to stray far from their mother. Lydia, with no room to sit by Daryl and Tyreese, sat down to Nye's right, too shy to find anywhere else. Samson swooped in and laid at the girl's feet, the dog's sheer size taking up most of the underside of the table.

"It's so clean." She whispered in awe, looking around at every shiny surface.

The boys snickered at her, while Nye draped her right arm over the girl. Pulling on the thin rope to the side of the window, Nye lifted the shades and revealed an equally clean window pane. As the RV picked up speed, the trees flew by in a dark blur, looking like just one big green streak made by a paintbrush.

"We're really doing this, eh?" Abraham huffed with a suppressed grin as he stared out one of the windows too. "Gonna settle down, live our lives again?"

Rosita leaned back in her seat, arms crossing behind her head as she smiled. "Sounds good to me."

"That's if he ain't lyin'." Daryl cynically remarked from up front.

Nye frowned and leaned to the right, looking over Lydia's head and glaring at Daryl through the rearview mirror. "He wasn't."

He gazed back at her, the only part of his face visible being the sliver of inches between his cheeks and eyebrows, not providing her with enough to figure out what he was feeling, other than the increasingly familiar exhaustion in his eyes. After a few seconds, he relented, looking back down to the road and reaching to adjust the mirror, so he no longer could glance back at her disapproving face.

The only other person to acknowledge the exchange, frowned heavily as she eyed the two. With a sigh and a shake of her head, Carol stood and walked over to the front of the RV.

Daryl tensed as Carol stopped next to his seat, and put a hand on the back of it, while the other settled on her hip.

 _Shit._

"Care to share what's been going on?" She asked innocuously, quiet enough for anybody in the back to be unable to hear.

Tyreese glanced between the two awkwardly, clueless as to what was happening, and dearly wishing Sasha would come up and save him.

Daryl's eyes didn't stray from the road, but he noticeably stiffened. "I don't-"

"Three weeks." Carol cut him off, voice stern like a disappointed mother. "You two haven't shared a pleasant word with each other in three weeks, and it's not for lack of trying on her part."

Hands fidgeting on the wheel, Daryl finally looked up at her, face drawn in a minute scowl. "I ain't pickin' fights with her."

"I know. That's not what I said." Carol sighed, leaning a bit closer as her voice lowered even further to ensure her next words were not overheard. "But ever since what happened to Beth-"

Daryl flinched.

"-you have been pushing her away. I've noticed the tension between you two." She let go of the back of the chair, leaning back and crossing her arms with a tired sigh. "If I didn't know you so well I'd tell you to just take her into the back and relieve some stress the old fashioned way,"

Daryl took a sharp inhale, neck and face burning a dark red at the insinuation.

Tyreese's brows shot up, and he raised his hands, or rather hand and _stump_ , in defeat. "Okay, nope. Not a part of this." He stood, setting the map down and walking away.

"But I know it's not that simple for you two," She continued on as if she hadn't just driven Tyreese away by casually talking about how Daryl should just go and rail Nye in the back. Though she was fighting down an amused grin. "But that doesn't mean you two don't need a moment _alone_."

There was something in her tone that put Daryl on edge. "What are you-"

"Nye," Carol turned around and called, gaining the brunette's attention. "Can you come here real quick?"

Daryl's head snapped up as he glared daggers at the woman. "Don't-"

Carol smirked, and _winked_.

He was screwed.

Nye without question hopped up, carefully stepping around Lydia, and walked over, coming to a stop next to the woman with a concerned look. "What's up?"

Any smug look on her face had disappeared, as Carol took on a look of innocent worry. "I think Daryl's coming down with something."

Said man was looking back and forth between the woman and the road, staring at her in disbelief. And when Nye's face fell in a look of concern, he tried ignoring the pang it shot through him.

"I mean, look how red he is." Carol pointed out behind Nye's back as the brunette stepped next to the driver's seat.

Daryl could hear the smirk in the woman's voice, as she used his earlier flustered complexion against him, as it had yet to fade.

Sometimes he forgot how scary she could be.

"Yeah, he does look flushed." Nye murmured, hands twitching as if she was fighting the urge to manually check his forehead.

"I'm _fine-_ "

"You should take him into the back," Carol cut him off again. "I'll take over driving for now."

"I don't…" Nye trailed off, looking over the hunter in mighty concern despite the exchange that happened mere minutes ago. She was going to argue at first, but she noticed he had gotten even more red.

Unbeknownst to her, it was caused by Carol strategically mentioning _taking him into the back_.

"O-okay." Nye stammered with a relenting nod.

Daryl clenched his jaw. "I don't-"

"I think we both know this is your best option." Carol challenged, in other words saying " _If you don't, then_ I _will talk to her myself."_ And there were many problems with that, mainly consisting of how Carol knew more about his feelings for Nye than probably even he did.

Grinding his teeth, Daryl stopped the RV to let Carol switch out, before stiffly following Nye as she marched her way towards the RV's bedroom. The kids shot them a questioning look as they passed, but she waved them off with a smile. Whereas Daryl kept his eyes straight ahead as he internally swore to never confide in Carol again.

Stepping into the room, and closing the door behind him, Nye turned to Daryl with a sheepish look.

"To be honest, I've got no clue why Carol wanted me to take you back here, but I'm way too scared of that woman to deny her of anything." She chuckled awkwardly.

At her obvious discomfort, Daryl ducked his head guiltily, knowing it was his fault for damaging the ease the two had built between each other.

"So, um… are you okay?"

Daryl nodded, looking over the bed to his left in an effort to avoid meeting Nye's searching eyes.

"Alright, uh, good." She bit her lips together, linking her hands behind her back and rocking on her heels. "That's, yeah, that's good."

He watched as she winced, shaking her head to herself, as if mentally berating her lack of conversation skills. Believing herself to be the problem, and cause of their current communicational issues.

Hating the biting silence that fell over the room, Daryl clenched his fists sporadically as he gnawed on his bottom lip. With a harsh breath, he moved to breeze past her, and go back out into the main part of the RV. As he side-stepped her though, she caught him off guard.

Face falling as soon as she realized he was going to walk away without a word, Nye's hand shot out, latching onto his left one, mouth opening to tell him to just " _Wait a second_ ". What she didn't expect was for him to tense and hiss in pain, pulling his hand away immediately.

Nye's eyes widened, as she held her hand midway in the air, still poised to reach out to him, but frozen in fear at the pained sound that came from him. Daryl however, was rigid, back ramrod straight as he kept it to her, breath hitching once or twice without his consent. Finally snapping out of her shock, Nye grabbed his arm right below his elbow before he could make an escape, pulling it towards her. Very delicately, she took his wrist, holding it up close to her sternum to inspect the back of his hand. All while she did this, completely silent, Daryl kept himself angled away from her, so she couldn't see the look on his face. He knew that he could pull away, he was stronger than her, and there was no way she could keep her hold if he decided too, but something about her feather light touch, and concerned eyes made him stay put.

Green eyes locked onto the red and inflamed dot marking his hand, blistered and painful looking. But with a sharp inhale through her teeth, she noted the size and shape. The only thing the new looking burn could possibly be from, was a lit cigarette. And the only one in the group who smoked, and let alone had any cigarettes, was the same man with the burn.

"Daryl." Her voice rasped, barely above a whisper. "When did you… when did this happen?"

It was soft, and the part that got him was that there wasn't an ounce of judgment in her question, only genuine worry. Shoulders deflating, he slowly looked over at her to his left, sighing inaudibly in defeat.

"Before the night in the barn."

Nye frowned, brows furrowing in a telltale sign he knew how to recognize on her too well at this point. Guilt. For the simple fact that she didn't notice.

Before she could say anything, or apologize for god-knows-what, he let the overdue words come bubbling up to the surface.

"I'm sorry."

Looking up from his hand, she blinked her misty eyes in confusion. "What? Why?"

Daryl swallowed, wishing not for the first time that he could just convey all he needed her to know through looks, but even Nye wasn't attuned enough to him for him to get away with silence all the time.

"You… after Gareth-"

He hated the way she instinctively winced, hand flying down to her stomach. And once again regretted not being in the church that night, missing the chance of killing the bastard himself.

"And after…" He trailed off, voice catching much to his chagrin after trying and failing to say the young Greene's name. "I thought… maybe you…" He hung his head and swore angrily under his breath, trying his damndest to force the words out. It should have been simple, but her gaze felt so heavy, and tight around his throat. That's how it always was with her. But he wouldn't let it be that way this time.

With a steeling huff of air through his teeth, his head snapped up and he looked her in the eyes.

"I couldn't do this if you weren't here. And I thought maybe I could make that part of me go away, but it ain't leavin'. You're always in my head and it's gonna be the death of me."

Mouth hanging open, Nye's eyes flitted between his rapidly, pupils blown wide. Despite what others may have guessed, that was the closest thing to an admission the two had ever achieved, and it showed.

Daryl was huffing, almost like he had just ran a marathon, and he was struggling to keep looking back at her as he finally let himself catch up with the word vomit he just spewed.

Nye was gaping like a fish, squeaks falling from her mouth as she tried to form a single coherent word. Her face slowly bloomed a cherry red color, spreading across her cheeks and reaching her ears. And even in the most awkward silence of their lives, Daryl found himself appreciating the way the red made her eyes seemingly shine a brighter green.

Jesus, they were pathetic.

Her mouth snapping shut, Daryl watched in trepidation as Nye swallowed, and stood straighter. A heavy tension built as she stared up at him with a suddenly hardened expression. She looked like she was either preparing to hit him, or-

"Fuck it." She snapped under her breath.

Hands shooting out, and knotting into his leather vest, Nye took and step forward. Her hands shook against his chest, and her face somehow became redder, as she _pulled_.

In a single breath, he was stooped down half a foot, hands quickly moving to the desk behind her to keep balance, coincidentally caging her in front of him in the process. She never broke away from his eyes, pinning him in place with her expression of determination, and impatience.

Finally, when her eyes fell from his, it only made his chest stall further, as it was now his mouth she was intently focused on. Feeling like she had set off some factory reset, Daryl found himself frozen as he felt her breath sweep across his chin. But even if he could move, he didn't think there was a chance he would have.

With one last swallow, to try to banish the nerves, Nye closed her eyes, and tipped her head. In the darkness of her eyelids, it felt like an eternity as they both closed the last few centimeters together.

Heart skipping, probably unhealthily for her, Nye felt the barest brush against her lips, and then-

" _Shit_!"

The RV lurched in a sudden turn. Momentum causing items to fly off counters and shelves, but more importantly, it threw anyone not seated off balance.

With a girlish squeak, Nye fell to the left, saved only by Daryl's arms still locked on the desk behind her. He immediately wrapped both arms around her, as the tires squealed, sharp and jarring turns rocking the vehicle.

Panting, the two stared back at each other in shock, still gripping one another in a white knuckled hold. Any heated air between them slowly evaporating as they could hear everyone outside the room talking hurriedly and yelling orders.

"Follow them!"

"I'm _trying_!"

Then, as Daryl carefully let her go, Nye snarled at the door.

He touched her arm in concern. "You okay-"

"You gotta be kidding." She barked in disbelief, glaring at the door like it had caused this. "Of all the times for something to happen, it had to be _right fucking then_?"

Clearing his throat, Daryl took a mindful step back, suddenly remembering where the two were just seconds ago as the concern for her hitting the ground faded.

The RV swerved several more times, but expecting it, neither Nye or Daryl stumbled and fell. They could hear Abraham swearing up a storm, and Mason's surprised and rather high pitched exclamations. Soon it became obvious why, as Walkers flew by past the windows, one after another. The RV finally came to a screeching halt, as the herd became too thick to drive through.

"They're getting away!"

"Yeah, I'm aware!"

Marching towards the door, Nye grabbed the handle like she expected it to fight her, wrenching the door open violently.

"What the hell is going on?!"

Carol glanced at them over her shoulder, hands still gripping the wheel despite the vehicle no longer moving. She blinked, glancing between the two suspiciously for a solid second. Their red faces and wide pupils clueing her in. As much as she may have wanted to, Carol sadly couldn't interrogate either of them in that moment.

"Fun's over kiddos, we've got a situation."

Nye scowled at her for a short moment, before spinning on her heel and pointing a finger roughly into Daryl's chest.

"This isn't over." She growled quietly, eyes narrowed. And while he knew he wasn't what she was angry at, it still drove him to nod stiffly in response.

The underline promise of what that meant, had him swallowing thickly. It certainly didn't help that her voice was probably the lowest, and sultry he had ever heard from her. The sound of it alone doing an embarrassingly strong number on him.

Turning back around, Nye marched past the rest of the crew, landing herself back into the bench that held Lydia, across from her boys.

The kids, who of course picked up on something being wrong. Toby leaned towards her with his elbows on the table. "You uh, were in there with Daryl awhile. You wanna tell us what-"

With a glare hot enough to melt stone, Nye hissed at her son quietly. "One more word and you're grounded for life."

Mouth closing in a fearful smile, Toby gave her a nod and a wordless double thumbs-up. Mason, knowing that teasing was futile, just sat back with a mildly intrigued squint at their mother.

And as she listened with half an ear as Abraham argued with Carol on what road to take, now that this one was cut off by the herd, Nye faced the disappointing knowledge that _unresolved_ sexual tension was just as stress inducing as _resolved_ sexual tension was at soothing.

They were absolutely continuing that conversation. She didn't know when, but she knew there was no way she could just go back on living life like she didn't feel something worryingly strong for the hunter. Not like she had before.

" _So_ not over." She hissed under her breath, ignoring the clueless looks her kids sent her.

* * *

 **To be fair, I did warn you guys at the very start that this would be the slowest slow burn you'll probably ever read. Until I publish something else, that is. On the bright side, we're almost at the arguably best arc of TWD, And I plan to milk it.**

 **P.S, I have a quick question to ask you guys. Should, when the time comes, I take the M rating all the way? I've never written smut, but I think I've read enough to have a pretty good grasp on it lol**

 **Just let me know if that's something you guys want to see :)**


	48. Tomorrow morning

"I got a bad feeling about this." Abraham said, hands firmly gripping his rifle as he, Rosita, Maggie, Sasha, Nye, Carol, and Daryl all rushed down the dark road towards the water tower in the distance. Everyone else was left to guard the RV.

After getting seperated from Rick, Michonne, Glenn, and Aaron, their luck didn't take a second to pile on more trouble. Once switching over onto the road Aaron originally wanted them to go down, they were met by yet another obstacle, that being a bright red flare going up in the distance. It was unknown if the flare was Aaron's partner, or the missing portion of the group.

"Oh good, so I'm not the only one." Nye grumbled, crossbow loaded and aimed upwards, ready in case of any problems.

"How do you think the others are doing?" Rosita looked back as she walked in front with Abraham. "You think they-"

" _Help_!"

"Shit." Carol snapped.

The group abandoned any conversation, running as fast as they could to reach where the urgent voice came from. Veering off from the road, they ducked into the forest for cover as they came up to the water tower, just in case this was really a setup. Abraham took lead, guiding them along through the bush, and he was the first to charge in when they finally reached the tower.

Almost a dozen Walkers all surrounded a seemingly normal car, clawing at the bottom and trying to wiggle their decayed bodies underneath. It became clear why, when they heard the voice call again, coming from under the car. With silenced shots, Abraham took out a few, catching the rest's attention.

Nye lifted the scope to eye level, closing her left and aiming steadily. She shot the crossbow, hoping to get the bolt straight through the Walker's eye, but missed and ended up piercing it through the squishy temple. Nye internally scolded herself, knowing that she was fruitlessly trying to impress the group's resident archer, but unable to help herself from trying to show off.

In the back of her head, she distantly remembered a conversation she had with Andrea, what felt like ages ago. About men, and feeling the need to show off.

Back then, she didn't get what Andrea was trying to imply, but now, she was more than aware of the reason behind both hers and Daryl's impulsive need to prove themselves to each other.

When the last Walker dropped, they watched as a shaky hand reached out, grappling with the side of the car as he tried to pull himself out.

"I-I'm a little stuck." He stammered, obviously struggling with freeing himself. "T-the uh, the car rolled o-onto my leg." The man explained, shakiness of his voice now clearly caused by pain.

Nye and Maggie rushed over to help, followed by the still skeptical rest of the team. While Daryl and Abraham used their combined strength to lift the back of the car as much as they could, Nye and Maggie didn't hesitate hooking their arms beneath the man's, pulling him out carefully, trying not to jostle his broken ankle.

The man sighed in relief, chuckling nervously as he held his left leg just above the ankle. "Thank you. I was starting to wonder if I'd ever get out, heh."

"What's your name?" Sasha asked curiously, looking him over and inspecting his nearly pristine clothes, all things considered.

"I'm Eric. And I'm guessing you guys are part of that group, huh?"

Nye blinked at the name, and after a beat, smiled kindly to the man. "Yeah, we are." She answered before anyone could try to deny it out of suspicion.

Eric nodded, glancing between them all edgily. "Great, that's uh…" He trailed off, shifting tensely as he couldn't spot someone specific in the group. "Where's Aaron?"

"Why?" Carol quickly asked back, arms crossed.

Eric opened his mouth, about to stumble over an explanation, when Nye saved him the trouble.

"He's fine, I promise. Our leader just wanted us to go different ways." She held out her hand to him. "C'mon, I can fix up that ankle back at the RV."

Eric accepted her answer, nodding and relaxing slightly. Taking her hand, he slowly got up, hopping awkwardly on his good leg. Slinging his arm over her shoulder, Nye smiled to him reassuringly as she took half of his weight to help him walk.

Behind her, the rest followed wordlessly. This time the trip was made in total silence as they trekked back to the RV. When back in eyeshot, they saw Tyreese keeping watch, who quickly peeked back inside the vehicle, telling the people inside that they were back.

It was plain to see that Eric was more so on edge towards them than Aaron had been, but that could have been chalked up to him having not seen his partner yet, confirming his safety.

While she reset his ankle into place, Eric hissed in pain, tensing and throwing his head back with a groan. Nye grimaced, letting go as soon as she was finished.

"Sorry."

Eric shook his head, giving a weak smile. "Don't be, you're way more gentle than the doc back home."

"You have a doctor?" Tara gasped quietly. "Like, a _real_ doctor?"

"Hey." Nye glared at her half heartedly. "What's that supposed to mean?

"Nye, you're the one who's always clarifying that you aren't as equipped for injuries as a professional _doctor_ is." Carol chided as she stood by the passenger seat, now taken by Eugene as Maggie drove.

Nye frowned, looking back down as she started to wrap his ankle. "I hate when you throw logic back in my face."

From where she and Eric sat, they didn't see a small head meekly peer over the cushioned bench next to them. But the timid voice easily caught their attention.

"Do you let in dogs?" Lydia quietly asked Eric, hand firmly curled around Samson's collar as the dog sat obediently by her side.

"Is he house broken?" Eric joked, and after getting a blank look in return, cleared his throat and nodded. "Uh, yeah, yes we do."

Lydia cracked a smile, and ducked back down.

"What now?" Tara worriedly asked, arms crossed as she edgily stared out the windshield into the night.

"There's this place me and Aaron go whenever we get seperated, we can wait for them there?" Eric proposed, glancing between the adults for their agreement.

"Any objections?" Carol asked the RV's occupants. When no one spoke up, she shrugged. "Alright then."

…

Daryl stood outside the door, intermittently whistling a signal into the night, hoping the missing group members would hear it. The rendezvous point wasn't far from the water tower, thankfully, so there was a good chance that if Rick and the others caught the flare, that they would find them eventually.

Leaning back against the brick wall, Daryl ducked his head down, absently reaching up and touching his bottom lip. Lost in thought, he missed the sound of someone stepping out, until the person came to stand right beside him.

Carol crossed her arms, side eyeing him with a restrained smirk. "You know, I can't tell if I made things better, or worse. But I'm willing to bank on it being better."

Daryl pursed his lips, muttering irritably to himself as he turned his head away from her, letting go of his chapped lip abashedly.

"So, did you…?" She let the question hang in the air, watching his reaction closely.

Daryl tensed, giving a minute shake of his head. "Nah, someone decided to drive like a damn animal." He shot her a pointed look.

Carol grimaced sheepishly. "Sorry."

He shrugged, brushing it off solemnly. "Not like things'd be any different anyway."

The redneck jerked as Carol unapologetically jabbed him in the side, rolling her eyes with a huff. As he glared at her, rubbing his side, she ran a hand down her face.

"You are the most stubborn and dense man I have ever met, and I have yet to understand where Nye gets her patience." With a tired sigh, she stared him down. "Let me guess, she tried to kiss you?"

Daryl opened his mouth, but fell silent under the woman's glare. He couldn't deny it, not without lying out his ass.

Carol nodded, cocking her hip as she raised her brows patronizingly. "I see, and you think she would just go and do something like that without motive?"

"I-"

"For fucks sake Daryl, drag your ass out of the denial you've put yourself in, _and be with her_. She has feelings for you, you have feelings for her, it's not that complicated."

Daryl grit his teeth, and felt a tiredness he was all too familiar with. "It ain't that simple."

"Then explain it to me."

Sighing through his nose, Daryl glanced over his shoulder, through the window, and into the building. Gathered around, the group were talking in hushed tones, their mouths forming words he couldn't make out. But his sole focus shifted and fixated onto the woman in question. He watched as she held Lydia in her arms, cradling the tired girl as she absentmindedly stroked the side of the girl's leg with her free hand.

"...she deserves better than I could ever give 'er."

Toby whispered something to her, to which Nye grinned, nudging her son playfully with her hip.

Daryl's fingers fell into his pocket, brushing fleetingly over the smooth surface of the photo tucked safely away inside. He looked away, back down to the damp pavement he and Carol stood on. "That's it. That's the reason. Always has been, always will be."

Carol frowned, staring at him sympathetically. "Daryl… that's not-"

A whistle caught their attention, both of them looking down the road to where Rick and the others were, running towards them. Daryl rushed to knock on the window, signaling to the rest that the small group had returned. The first out the door were Carl and Maggie, who dashed into Rick and Glenn's arms respectively. Slipping between Michonne and Glenn, Aaron looked around frantically.

"Your sister okay?" Rick huffed as he held Carl, eyes falling on and counting the members just to be sure.

"Yeah. Yeah, we're fine."

Unable to spot his partner, Aaron started to panic. "Eric? Eric? Eric!?"

Nye took the crook of his arm, nodding her head to the door as she pulled. "He's inside."

Aaron ran past her, disappearing through the door as he called for him again, this time in relief.

"Who's Eric?" Rick asked suspiciously, rubbing his beard as he trudged inside.

"No one to worry about." Nye stated firmly. "He has a broken ankle and no weapons. So you don't have to pull the scary leader card."

Everyone filed back into the building, murmuring to each other quietly. There was a thrumming energy in the air now, as they were one step closer to somewhere safe. Lydia tiredly rubbed her eyes with her left hand, as her right found its way into Daryl's. The hunter didn't give much of an outward reaction, but ended up scooping the girl up into his arms, giving her a chance to get a few extra minutes of rest. Mason and Toby shuffled on, flanking Nye on either side, the curly haired teen letting his head flop down, letting it rest on Nye's shoulder as they walked. Despite the excited atmosphere, everyone was still left exhausted after the tense night.

Eric's voice carried down the hall with a breathy chuckle, letting them catch the tail end of his and Aaron's conversation. "Maybe it's for the best. That monstrosity out front can run. It's so ugly, it'll scare the Roamers away." Both men laughed softly at that.

Aaron didn't notice the former sheriff, who came to a stop in the doorway, but Eric did. Nodding over his boyfriend's shoulder, Eric gave Rick a placating smile. "Hi. I'm Eric."

"Rick." The leader rasped, looking back and forth between the men, loosening up as he realized why Aaron had been so protective of his secret partner.

Aaron shared a silent look with Rick, and nodded slowly. Giving a pat to Eric's knee, he got up and followed Rick out of the room. Gathered around, the group waited as Aaron looked at them each individually, expression soft and genuine.

"Excuse me. Excuse me. Everyone. _Thank you_. You saved Eric. I owe you. _All_ of you. And I will make sure that debt is paid in full when we get to our community." His mouth twitched into a faint smile. "When we get to _Alexandria_."

Relief at knowing the name of the community, added onto the relief of having a roof over their heads, even if temporary, had some of them (Tara, the kids, Rosita, Maggie, Noah, Tyreese, and Nye) beaming.

"Now, I'm not sure about you, but I'd rather not do any more driving tonight." Aaron chuckled, earning a few snickers from the group. "Maybe we can hit the road tomorrow morning." He offered hopefully, knowing the real decision wasn't up to him.

"That sounds fine." Rick bobbed his head once in agreement. "But if we're staying here for the night, you're sleeping over there." He gestured to a wall opposite from the room Eric was resting in.

"You really think we got to do that?" Maggie sighed.

"It's the safe play." Rick looked back at Aaron. "We don't know you."

For the first time in the harrowing day they had spent with him, Aaron glared their leader down, setting a single rule of his own. "The only way you're gonna stop me from being with him right now is by shooting me."

Squinting at the man across from him, Rick stiffened, standing taller. But before any moves could be made, Glenn appeared between them, putting a hand on Rick's chest, and applying a slight pressure to keep him back.

"Whoa. Rick, he told us where the camp is. And he really was only travelling with one other person." Glenn argued in a whisper, trying to keep the peace for the first time in weeks.

Maggie, getting misty eyes, positively beamed as her husband was starting to come around, finally.

"They're both unarmed. One of them's got a broken ankle. I want us to be safe, too. I-I can't give up everything else. I know what I said, but it _does_ matter."

Rick looked his friend over, fighting down his own smile under his dirty beard. Nodding minutely, he relaxed. "All right."

Glenn seemed taken aback for half a second, before he too relaxed, and let himself be hopeful. The promise of safety was seemingly able to sway anyone, even the now wary Rick Grimes.

…

"Single file line, scooch." Nye ordered, lightly kicked Mason in the rear to move him along.

Mason shot her an unamused look over his shoulder, flipping her off and hopping into the RV. Toby rushed to get in after him, wishing to avoid the same treatment.

It was going to be a tight fit, just like before. The group heavily exceeded the vehicle's compactly, as eightteen of the men women and children were to be piled in, plus one lumbering Saint Bernard. Rick, Carl, Michonne and Judith were taking their own car. While most already sat inside, a few were trying to clean the front of the RV, mainly the windshield, free of Walker guts before heading off to Alexandria.

"Are you okay?" Glenn whispered to his wife, watching her in concern.

Nye glanced over, frowning when she saw how pale Maggie looked as she wiped away the blood and fleshy bits stuck to the vehicle.

Maggie swallowed, nodding shakily as she seemed to fight down a gag. "Yep, I just need to-" Her eyes widened, as she darted away from the the two, hiding behind the side of the RV. The telltale sound of stomach contents hitting the ground following.

Nye and Glenn traded a fearful glance, running around the RV and stopping a few feet away from Maggie and her mess. Glenn hurried to hold her hair out of the way, as a second bout hit her, this time only working up some bile.

Before either one could work themselves up too much in worry, Maggie wiped her mouth, hunched over as she grunted out a feeble "I'm fine." Brushing off Glenn's hands in her hair.

Nye and Glenn shared a look, and the suddenly fearful and shell shocked expression on his face was enough evidence for the brunette. Quietly telling him to get inside the vehicle and wait for them, Nye slowly approached the woman, rubbing gentle circles on her tense back.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Nye swallowed down the cotton-y feeling in her throat.

"When?"

Maggie sighed, closing her eyes, accepting that the brunette already had a theory and wasn't letting it go. "...Remember, when we found the, uh, the little rundown motel?"

Nye sucked in a breath, nodding bracingly as she recalled that lucky break they had what felt like not that long ago. "Yeah."

Maggie looked up, still hunched with her hands on her knees. "We… we got um… a little carried away… and…"

Nye clenched her teeth, feeling conflicted on whether she should reprimand the farmer's daughter, or congratulate her. "Hun, when was your last period?"

Maggie ducked her head.

Nodding, more to herself than to Maggie, Nye rocked back on her heels, whistling as she stressed her goggles. "Okay. _O-kay…_ " Any excitement bubbling up was followed by the district memory of finding out Lori had died under the knife, gone before she could even hold Judith. "Fucking A, man."

All too late the shorter woman noticed how Maggie's eyes started to well up.

"O-oh, oh shit, no Mags I- _fuck_." Nye anxiously raked her hand through her hair, then reached and pulled Maggie up straight. "I'm happy for you- I- Oh my God I suck." Nye threw her arms around Maggie, swaying them, and carefully minding the woman's stomach, despite there being no sign yet whatsoever. "It's okay, I swear. Don't worry. _Please don't worry._ "

"W-we don't know for sure." Maggie hiccupped, tightening her hold on Nye. "It could be nothing?"

"Yeah! Yeah it could just be a little bug." Nye too eagerly agreed, praying to whoever for Maggie to stop crying. "Everything's gonna be fine. A-and- _And_ , Aaron said they have a doctor, and real medicine and shit, so I mean, _if…_ "

She let it hang there, focusing on holding her friend together. But in her mind, Nye had no doubt about it.

Maggie was pregnant.


	49. Welcome to Alexandria

"You want your hair cut? You know, when we get there?"

Lydia hesitated, thinking on it. Long hair was a danger, easy to grab and yank on, but if they were going to be someplace safe, free of the dead, then what was the point? She shook her head, as Nye sat behind her, brushing out any twigs and leafs she found. The brunette shrugged, somewhat surprised by the answer.

"Oki-doki." She let the girl's hair go. The little ravenette, now free, bounded over and sat beside Daryl. The sight made a soft and warm feeling fill Nye's chest.

"How much longer we got?" Abraham asked behind the wheel, glancing down at the little red light blinking in warning.

Rosita, in the passenger seat checked the map. "Looks like we're a little over halfway there. Why?"

Eyeing the red light, Abraham smiled, brushing it off optimistically. "We can make it. We can make it."

But his hope did nothing to help the RV, when it sputtered out only minutes later.

"Can't win!" He angrily kicked the front of the vehicle, the battery completely dead. "Might as well paint it red, put a ladder on it." Abraham huffed, throwing his hand in the air as he stomped a few feet away.

"All we need is another battery." Glenn calmly explained, hands on his hips.

"Where in the hell are we gonna find another battery?"

Glenn patted his back. "Right over here."

Leading the taller man around to the side, Glenn opened a small hidden door by the entrance, revealing two perfectly good batteries.

"How'd you know those were there?"

Glenn paused, humming a laugh through his nose as a reminiscent smile slid onto his face. "Come on."

It took a bit to take out the old one and replace it, but once the job was finished, the RV roared to life as Rosita started her up. Abraham and Glenn shared a quick high-five, and they were back on the road only minutes after. Able to kick up the speed worry free, now that there were no warnings flashing behind the wheel.

Pushing the window open, Nye took a second to close her eyes, and lean closer to the outside. The sunlight shined bright, visible through her eyelids, and warm enough to give her cheeks a red hue if left in it long. The air blew back in her face, the smell of trees, dirt, and early morning dew worked together to drown out the smell of rot and decay. And when she listened, she could hear the high pitched chirping of birds hidden in the trees.

Opening her eyes, she smiled wide, resting her head on the side of the window panel, just taking it in.

Ahead of them, Rick pulled to a stop. And when she glanced over to see why, her lips parted in a gasp.

A tall, and thick looking wall blocked them off, made of metal and wooden beams. There was a gate, locked up tight enough to discourage any unwanted visitors.

No one spoke a word, so quiet it was almost like they stopped breathing. Slowly, they started moving, stepping out of the RV haltingly, like the idea that this was real was only now hitting them. From her spot, Nye didn't move, finding herself paralyzed, either in excitement or fear, she couldn't tell. All she knew, was there was a large and gnawing pit that had formed in her stomach, turning it nauseatingly.

Mason had stood, but wasn't moving from his spot next to Nye and Toby. Lydia slowly came over, hands anxiously wringing her stuffed duck. Toby sat across from her, seemingly knowing why she hadn't moved yet. While Nye just stared out the window, at the towering gate.

The only ones left in the vehicle now were them, and Daryl who stood at the door, waiting for them.

Stiff as a statue, Nye didn't look like she was moving anytime soon, until something drifted past the wall, and through the window, faint as a whisper, but there nonetheless.

Toby's eyes widened, as his hand shot out and clasped with hers. "Mom…"

She heard it too. The sound of children laughing, and people living their lives.

Taking a deep inhale, and letting it go shakily, Nye stood, leading her kids out of the RV on trembling legs. Daryl nodded at the sight, stepping down and walking over to the rest, who already stood at the front of the gate.

When they made it to stand next to the others, the gate began to slide open, the now slightly rusted metal squeaking as it slowly revealed what hid behind the wall. A man stood there, staring at them all skeptically, even cleaner than Aaron and Eric were. Said man stepped forward, Aaron holding up Eric to help him along on his broken ankle.

Before Aaron could make an effort to ease the tense stare down, a metal dumpster rattled off to their left. Daryl and Glenn, those closest to it, raised their weapons. But when it turned out to just be a possum, Glenn lowered his. Daryl wasn't wasting the opportunity however, and put a bolt in the animal. Picking it up be the tail, he held it up.

"We brought dinner."

Mason snorted, and Nye felt her face flush as the unnamed man looked even further unimpressed.

Aaron held up a hand. "It's okay." He looked back, nodding them inside. "Come on in, guys."

Even the first step through the gate, the air smelled fresher, more lively. And it would have been a beautiful moment if it weren't for the distrusting man guarding the gate.

"Before we take this any further, I need you all to turn over your weapons. You stay, you hand them over."

The more she looked at him, the more she couldn't help but think he resembled a weasel. His beady eyes and pathetically thin facial hair, paired with the unfounded superiority hidden just under the surface, Nye could tell she was going to have problems with this guy.

"We don't know if we want to stay." Rick challenged, somehow still a force to be feared, despite him gently holding Judith to his chest.

"It's fine, Nicholas." Aaron spoke nervously, ready to defend the ragtag group after saving his injured boyfriend.

"If we were gonna use them, we would have started already." Rick replied, uncaring of the glare being shot at him by "Nicholas".

Aaron sighed, not appreciating Rick's disregard for the peace. "Let them talk to Deanna first."

"Who's Deanna?" Abraham bellowed, loud and out of nowhere enough to make Nye jump harshly.

"She knows everything you'd want to know about this place. Rick, why don't you start?" Aaron suggested.

Rick contemplated it, and was about to concede when they heard a Walker snarling, coming from behind them. "Sasha." He said, not bothering to turn around.

The woman, aimed through the bars in the gate, popping off one shot, and dropping the Walker that had been a fair distance away. Tyreese smiled, putting his hand on her shoulder and giving a quick squeeze.

"It's a good thing we're here." Their leader said smugly, brushing past Aaron and the scowling Nicholas.

…

After Aaron went into the house and returned about five minutes later, he smiled to Rick, signaling him to head inside with a nod. The former sheriff took a moment to gaze back and forth to his son, daughter, and Michonne.

He remained in the house for awhile, taking his sweet time with whatever sort of interview this Deanna woman had in store for them.

Sitting next to her on the porch steps, Glenn nudged Nye with his elbow. "Nervous?"

Nye toyed with her hands, in boredom rather than any nerves plaguing her. "No. I'm kinda great at these." To prove her point, she waved her hand to where her boys idled around. Thinking back on times of tight buns and pencil skirts, all to impress people who were probably dead now.

The two teens were busy standing by the street, taking in the un-raided houses, and clean people milling about.

When Rick finally came out, he didn't say anything, just let Deanna usher them all into the side yard where a woman in a ponytail and glasses pushed a grey trolley toward them. Rick moved first, setting his gun down into the trolley. With a reassuring nod, their leader stepped aside and let them put down their own weapons.

Rick made the decision. They were staying, for now, at least.

"They're still your guns. You can check them out whenever you go beyond the wall. But inside here, we store them for safety." Deanna assured them.

Nye didn't want to agree with their system as much as she did, but it made sense. With walls this large, it was more likely for someone irresponsible to accidentally shoot themself than be bit by a Walker.

One by one the trolley filled up, creaking under the sheer weight of the artillery. Carol timidly approached, carefully setting down her handgun, and fumbling with the strap of her rifle. Finally getting it off, she smiled awkwardly as the woman across from her gave her a sympathetic one of her own. While the group knew what Carol was really capable of, Alexandria didn't. It was like some big game of poker, and it would be smart to hide the queen up their sleeve.

Nye stiffly pulled out her black pistol, gripping it with white knuckles as she chewed her bottom lip bloody. Rick gave her a second, before twitching his head sideways toward the trolley. Sighing inaudibly, Nye gently set it down with the rest, already uncomfortable without its presence. It had been at her side so long now, feeling like a piece of home when she didn't have any, and always reminding her of Daryl any time she felt the cold metal. Her only comfort was being allowed to hold onto her crossbow.

"Should have brought another bin." The woman in glasses chuckled awkwardly, pushing the heavy thing away with her as she went back to the weapons storage.

As the rest of the group was called in one at a time, Aaron showed up and offered to take Rick and Carl down the road to look at the houses in the meantime. The children apparently weren't obligated to partake in the interviewing process. Nye was thankful for this, unsure of how Lydia would respond being bombarded by questions from a stranger.

Eventually, it was Nye's turn.

Stepping through the doorway, Nye subconsciously made her feet land lighter on the floor, making an effort to be as silent as possible in the home. It was like walking through a portal, back into the days of 2010. Deanna sat on a sofa, waiting patiently with a sincere smile, letting the brunette have a moment to look around like the previous people had. When Nye made it to the plush chair across from the sofa, she hesitated to sit, suddenly very aware of how dirty she was, but after seeing the stains and smudges left by her family before her, Nye pursed her lips sheepishly and sat on the edge, placing her hands on her knees, where they couldn't ruin any other furniture.

The older, red haired woman, seemed a bit amused by Nye's attempt, after the way the others had sat down carelessly. Locking her fingers together on her lap, Deanna smiled. "Hello. I'm Deanna Monroe."

Nye blinked, eyes moving away from the window, where she could see a family taking a harmless walk down the road. "My name's Niagara Conner. I'd shake your hand, but uh…" She held them up with an embarrassed laugh, dried blood and dirt dusting them.

Deanna shook her head, waving off Nye's reservations, leaning over and taking her right hand, shaking it firmly.

Nye cleared her throat, pleasantly surprised that the older woman wasn't afraid to get her hands dirtied for the sake of a simple handshake.

When she leaned back, Deanna pointed at something right over her shoulder. "Would you mind if I record this?"

"Uh… I mean- sure?" Nye muttered, self consciously taking off her cracked goggles and patting down her hair.

Again, Deanna appeared amused as she pressed a button, starting the recording. "Alright, Niagara. Let's start simple, what did you do before?"

"I was an obstetrical nurse, and foster mother."

"I see, I suppose your calling was aimed at helping children one way or another."

Nye blushed, ducking her head with a modest grin. Shrugging, she fiddled with her sleeves, making sure her right one was plenty long enough to keep her wrist covered.

"Do you have any family, Niagara?"

Her hands stalled, and Nye looked up. "I- Yeah. My sons, Mason, and Toby. And I mean, well this group, their my family…" Nye trailed off, contemplating her next words carefully. "Then, there's Lydia… she, well… I'm her guardian of sorts, if that's what she wants me to be. I guess I've become her…" Nye shook her head, frantically waving her hands as she backtracked. "Wait, I don't know what she sees me as or anything! What I mean is I would never force myself into the role of a mother to someone unless I was explicitly asked by them, and I don't even know what we are to her but I know I would die for her in a heartbeat, and that she's the sweetest girl I've ever met, and I just want to help her and protect her, you know?"

Deanna let her ramble on about wanting to be there, but not wanting to over step, and it gave the woman a pretty good idea of what sort of character Nye was.

"Other than the obvious medical experience, are there any talents you have that might help our community?"

"Well, I can juggle." Nye fought off a grin as Deanna smothered a chuckle. "For real though, I don't think I can offer all that much. I can do a bunch of random and honestly useless stuff, not anything of worth really."

When Deanna only leaned back, opening her hand in a gesture to "go ahead", Nye's brows lifted and her mouth gaped for a second.

"Wait, you want me to sit here and tell you all about my shitty talents?"

"Pretty much."

Scoffing lightly, Nye shrugged ruefully. "Okay? Uh, I can speak French, ASL, and just a bit of German. I can play guitar, and the trombone. I can do a handstand while under the influence, hmmm what else…?"

"Alright," Deanna waved a hand, body trembling faintly in withheld mirth. "I can see you'll be very helpful."

She only had a few more questions, and when those were answered, Deanna found herself asking one that hadn't been lined up before, prompted by the way Nye hadn't asked what the rest of her group had so far.

"Why haven't you asked me any questions?"

Nye hummed, at some point having relaxed further into the chair. "I don't really feel a need to. But now that you mention it, I do have one."

Deanna nodded seriously. "I'm all ears."

Nye took a breath, resting her elbows on her knees, and head on her hands as she stared back at Deanna heavily.

"Do you really allow dogs?"

…

"Oh, my _God_. It has _three_ _floors_ " Nye squeaked, staring up at the house on the left, a light blue with a giant porch covering the right hand corner of the house. On her right was their other one, only two floors but more than made up by the length of the structure, this one was white and had a smaller porch in the front.

"And water, electricity, and actual _beds_." Carl called, crossing his arms with a smirk as he stood against the porch banister, looking down at her from his elevated height. "Welcome to Alexandria."

"Bitchin'" Mason nodded as he surveyed the houses in approval.

"Bedrooms. Lots of them. _Mom_ _please_." Toby hissed in Nye's ear, tugging her arm pleadingly. "Don't make me go back to living with _him_ , _please_."

Coming out of her reverie, Nye rolled her eyes. "And there's about twenty of us. We'll see how many of us have to share, and I'll think about it. For now though," She came over to the side of the porch, unfurling the hose attached to the outdoor faucet, turning the knob. "Help me wash down a giant Saint Bernard."

Carl jerked back, arms thrown up. "Not it! I just got clean!"

"Oh yeah?" Feeling the pressure building up, Nye lifted the hose just in time, thumb over the end to make it spray everywhere as she aimed it at Carl. "'Cause to me it looks like you need a spray down as bad as Sammy does." Turning her head, Nye smiled sweetly to Lydia as she continued to spray Carl, the boy jumping around the porch in hopes of avoiding the water. But there was no escape. "Sweetheart, how about you head inside for now, hmm?"

"The hell?"

Lowering the hose, Nye turned around and saw Daryl and the rest, having finished their interviews. Coming over to the houses only to witness Nye hosing down Carl as Mason and Toby wrestled Samson out of his service vest a few yards away. She was unsurprised to find the redneck was still holding onto the dead possum.

"I was just getting Carl acquainted with this hose." Nye explained and moved her thumb from the end, lifting the pouring hose almost in a bored fashion.

While few people, namely Carol and Abraham shook their heads, Tara ran by them, up the now wet porch and inside, hollering over her shoulder,

"Dibs on the shower!"

Behind her, Mason cheered as he got the vest off, pulling Nye's attention away from where Tara had barreled through the door. "Bad call on her part." The brunette said and pointedly held up the still spilling hose. "The water pressure's gonna suck bad."

…

"He's so soft." Lydia whispered, marveling at Samson's now sleek and plush coat, petting him ever since he got dry.

It was dark out, and everyone was sitting around in the living room of the blue house. Sasha and Daryl sat by windows, keeping watch unnecessarily. At one point Nye wouldn't have been able to tell you what time it was, only able to make a rough guess based on the lighting outside, but now all she had to do was glance over at the wall clock mounted next to the fireplace, or one of the ones built into the oven or microwave.

 _Microwave_. When was the last time she could just nuke some leftovers from the night before? She didn't know, but as soon as the chance presented itself, she was microwaving whatever she could, just to get to hear the bulky machine beep obnoxiously once done. It was funny how things so simple were now appreciated so much more.

"How long was I in there for?" Michonne asked in a blissed out tone, dressed in new and clean clothes as she stepped into the room. Her dreadlocks holding onto the water from her shower, leaving her smelling pleasantly like shampoo.

Rick checked his watch, now ticking away in time with every other clock in Alexandria "Twenty minutes."

"God, I could not stop brushing." She laughed, raising a toothbrush up to her mouth, but stopped to stare at Rick. "Huh. I've never- I've never seen your face like that."

Rick chuckled. "That's what I felt before and after."

"I haven't seen you this cleanly shaved since the CDC." Nye snarked as she passed the two, moving to take the bathroom, being one of the last few to get themselves clean.

Tara laughed, then caught up to what Nye had said. "Wait, CDC? When did-"

A couple knocks rapped on the door. Everyone tensed, readying their knives and two crossbows out of habit. Opening the door revealed to be no threat, as Deanna stood at the entrance, smiling kindly to the former sheriff who let her in. "Rick, I-" She too paused at the sight of his face. "Wow."

Rick groaned, already tired of the heckling.

"I didn't know what was under there." Deanna joked. "Listen, I don't mean to interrupt. I just wanted to stop by and see how you were all settling." Looking behind the man, she saw the living room packed with the whole group, even the baby crib had been moved to keep Judith where everyone could watch over her. "Oh, my. Staying together. Smart." Deanna approved with a smile.

"No one said we couldn't." Rick challenged.

Nye elbowed him, shooting an apologetic look to Deanna. "He means, it's just more comfortable for us this way."

The older woman shrugged, unbothered by their decision. "You said you're a family. That's what both of you said." Casting her gaze on the room and each person inside, she shook her head in awe. "Absolutely amazing to me how people with completely different backgrounds and nothing in common can become that. Don't you think?"

"Everybody said you gave them jobs." Rick said, unmoved by her speech.

"Mm-hmm. Yeah. Part of this place. Looks like the communists won after all." She huffed through a laugh, managing to get a barely-there smile out of Rick.

"Well, you didn't give me one."

"I have. I just haven't told you yet. Same with Michonne." Deanna explained. "I'm closing in on something for Sasha. I think I have an interesting idea for Niagara. And I'm just trying to figure Mr. Dixon out, but I will." She said in a voice that implied that she really was confident in her abilities. "You look good." Deanna grinned teasingly to Rick one more time, and left.

Plopping down on the bay window sills right next to him, Mason smirked with trembling lips at Daryl. " _Mr. Dixon._ " He wheezed barely above a whisper.

Giving Mason no chance to deflect it, Daryl swiftly shoved him off the sills with his boot, looking back outside as Mason hit the floor with a grunt.

"Would you rather me talk about _Mrs_. Dixon?" Mason jeered and cocked his head, aiming it to the stairs, where Nye was walking up to use the second floor bathroom.

This time Daryl shut him up by smacking the brim of his hat down all the way under his chin, the top of the hat covering his face.

…

Setting down her new clothes onto the counter, Nye looked herself over in the mirror, internally criticizing every new patch of blood and/or dirt marking her. Goggles coming off first, Nye combed her hair thoroughly, knowing wet hair was harder to untangle. Then came off her shoes, and socks, once bright colors now dulled like you were looking through a dirty glass. Nothing left to stall with, Nye unbuttoned her pants, rushing to lock the door before she took them off, having forgotten to before.

Inhaling stiltedly, she pulled them down and off, grimacing with unjustified shame at the hair on her legs.

Societal norms sucked.

Next went her underwear, and bra, pulling it out from the bottom of her shirt. Then, standing in nothing but a fraying grey hoodie, Nye swallowed the stubborn cotton in her throat. Closing her eyes, she yanked it up over her head, the cool air in the bathroom giving her goose-bumps. Unsure how long she idled there, Nye let out a deep breath, opening her eyes.

She looked like a battle zone.

Under the dirt and blood, she glanced between every new scar littering her skin. The last time she had access to a mirror this big, was at the Greene farm, so this was all kinds of overwhelming. Aside from her old ones scattered across her forearm, Nye had to face the news ones.

A thin, barely visible one on top of her forehead, touching her hairline. Where the Termite that snuck up on her and Bob hit her across the head, cracking her goggles and digging the glass into her skin.

Two bullet holes in her left shoulder, entrance smaller than the exit, but both looking torn up and gouged. A lucky shot from one of the Governor's men, infected and treated with wild maggots.

There were a few she didn't remember getting. A long thin one down her thigh. A deep and thick one just under her right knee.

There was the smooth little hole in the center of her stomach, above her belly button, and a few centimeters to the left. From a psychotic tyrannical monster, after he just killed a man Nye believed had the chance to be someone great.

But then there was the big one. Marked on her stomach, and cramped between the last one, and her favorite tattoo.

 _MEAT_ , in big arching letters, taking up the smooth skin once there. Her bullet wound tucked just under the pocket in the 'A'. Nye used to like her stomach, flat and smooth, but now the sight of it made her feel sick.

The feeling of Gareth sitting on her, keeping her down so he could carve into her, was still scarily etched into her mind. Nye would almost swear she could still feel him now, heavy and cutting off circulation to her legs. Breathing suddenly much more difficult than it should be, Nye turned on the shower, letting it go long enough to fog the mirror before getting in.

Scalding hot, Nye flinched away from the steaming water, gradually dipping back under. She watched as brown and coppery red ran down the drain, hair soaking up water, hanging in her face as she stood there.

She didn't have an idea how long she remained stationary, but by the time she snapped out of it, the water running down her was clear. Lethargically reaching over to the shelf holding the soaps, Nye grabbed one without looking.

Moving to open the cap, she caught what the colorful font on the front said.

 _Peaches and daisies._

Blinking, she stared at the bottle. Her hair was sticking to her face, her fingers were getting wrinkly, and she hadn't noticed she was falling until her knees banged painfully down on the tile floor.

She didn't know why, couldn't fathom _why_ it was _that_ that did it. But it just _was_.

Nye gasped a sharp and quaking breath, eyes wide and getting teary fast. Her hands dropped the bottle in favor of shooting upward to claw at her choked neck. She hunched into herself, making her form as tight and compact as possible, all while struggling to get her lungs to cooperate.

She gasped three times uncontrollably, tears running down her cheeks and mingling with the water coming from the shower head. When she finally got herself to exhale, stomach rolling nauseously, it came out in a wail. Her left hand slapped over her mouth, another wail escaping from behind it.

She hoped no one could hear her, as her body jerked with each violent gasp and sob. It came to a point where she fumbled around and took her dirty hoodie, bunching it up and smothering her face in the dampening fabric, and with the new sound barrier, she screamed herself hoarse. The scream pathetically broke off into pieces as she fell to her side, laying in the fetal position.

Hershel died. The photo albums and Pumpkin were lost. Bob died. Tyreese lost his hand. It all swirled around in her head, raising her pulse and taking ahold of her lungs. Beth dying just when she was in reach. The baby Walker. The community of cannibals. A group of people living among the dead.

 _And me._

Nye froze, eyes opening and peeking over her crumpled hoodie, staring distantly at the wall on the other side of the room. New tears welled up, and she clung tighter to the piece of wet clothing, hoping for a shred of comfort to come from it.

 _Me. I got shot. I lost the van I built from scraps. I was taken and mutilated by people worse than Walkers. I'm covered in scars._ _ **Other people covered me in scars.**_

"I-I-" Nye choked, curling tighter and staring into space. "I-I'm not _o-okay…_ I'm not _**f-fine**_."

And this time, she wished someone could hear her.

* * *

 **So good news for me, and might be bad news for you, but I have found myself working on a novel, yay! I'm really happy with the rough draft right now, and will be working on writing it in its entirety, so it may end up cutting into my time for fanfiction. No I am not abandoning this, nor will I ever until it is finished, so you don't have to worry about that, I promise! In fact, I have a draft/guideline written up now, for the rest of Goggles and Leather that I wrote over the course of this week, so hopefully that will help speed things along. And yes, the draft does include how this story is ending.**


	50. Would you?

"Good morning!"

After a restless night's sleep, there was no visible sign that Nye had spent her shower intermittently sobbing and screaming. It took all of an hour for her to get clean and completely shaved with all the breaks to cry in between. Now she stood on the porch, beaming and dressed in a loose and flow-y long sleeved white blouse, slightly bedazzled jean shorts, and a brand new pair of converse, these ones a cheery pastel yellow. The goggles on her head look nearly unrecognizable, having been thoroughly cleaned and polished.

Daryl, sitting on the porch steps, grunted in acknowledgment, toying with one of his crossbow bolts.

Practically skipping down a couple, Nye sat herself beside him on the steps. Dropping her head on her hand and grinned at him. "Aw, is that all I'm getting?"

Daryl huffed, looking up at her. She watched in shock as Daryl's eyes widened a fraction at her appearance. His throat bobbed and she silently gaped at his darkening cheeks and dilated pupils.

She fought a shiver, stomach turning in a very nice way for a change.

So she may have found the stash of make-up hidden away in the bathroom, and _may_ have put the tiniest amount on. _And maybe curled her hair._ But it wasn't a big deal.

"You got any plans today? Showering, mayhaps…?" The brunette hedged when Daryl didn't give any verbal response at her obvious (to her at least) attempt to garner his attention.

"Nah, just gonna stay here a bit." He went back to messing with the bolt, but snuck one more glance up and down her form.

Nye didn't miss the minuscule action, and was abashed at herself for feeling a heat spread downward at such a small thing. Knowing Daryl though, it was very much not small for them.

 _I gotta get laid, this is out of control._

The door opened, some of the group trickling out a few at a time. Some clustered together naturally, like Abraham and Rosita, Tara Glenn Noah and Maggie, Sasha and Tyreese. Carl carefully pushed a stroller holding Judith, Rick standing on the porch steps as he watched.

"They said explore. Let's explore." Rick suggested to Daryl and Nye.

"Mom, can we go?" Toby asked in a rush as he and his brother moved to catch up with the others. Unlike his younger brother who took the stairs, Mason vaulted himself over the banister, running off to join Carl before getting a response.

"I mean," Nye gestured to Mason in exasperation. "Go ahead."

"That reminds me," Rick turned to Nye as Toby dashed to follow. "There's this woman, the one who cut my hair, Jessie. She wanted to know if the boys could meet her sons."

Nye stood. "Other kids? Like, ones the gremlins don't know? Aka _potential friends_?"

Rick huffed a chuckle. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Nye."

Peeking out the door, Lydia was dressed and ready for the day, but had a deeply bothered look on her face.

"...I can't tie my shoes. I forgot how."

As Nye sat her down to re-teach the girl, Rick mumbled something and raced away from the house, having lost sight of Carl and the kids and panicking as a result. Nye let him go, trusting that not even her boys were unlucky enough for something to have happened already.

"And then you twist this here, pull this through there, and… done, ta-da!"

Instead of being happy, Lydia frowned, looking disappointed as she reluctantly stood back up. Before Nye could pry and find out what was bothering her, Daryl spoke.

"You wanna stay at the house?"

Lydia's head lifted, her face hopeful. "Can I?"

Suddenly catching onto the issue, Nye kneeled, taking Lydia's smaller hands. "Of course you can. This is all really overwhelming, it is perfectly okay for you not to feel comfortable yet. You can stay here as long as you need. Okay?"

The amber eyed girl smiled, nodding. "Okay."

Nye squeezed her hands once, and hauled herself up, patting Lydia on the head as she moved to go on her own exploration. "Can you-"

Daryl waved her off with his bolt, as Lydia sat down next to him, whistling for Samson. "I got her, go."

Shrugging, knowing the girl was in safe hands, Nye walked down the steps and away from the house. She didn't know where everyone else was going, so she picked a random direction, and started there.

Walking through the neighborhood, Nye got dozens of smiles and waves from strangers, all of whom didn't even know her name, but that didn't stop them from showing her a warm welcome. It surprised her to a degree, having expected the people to be standoffish at first, but it seemed that you were only ostracized if you didn't meet their standards, and as she saw more and more of them, Nye noticed that she did fit right in, appearance wise.

Coming to a stop at an intersection, Nye looked around, debating which way to take. She didn't get far in her decision before a voice caught her attention.

"You lost?"

Turning her head to the left, Nye locked eyes with a man around her age. He had light brown hair that reached down and became some short scruff on his chin. The man was biting his lip, giving her a friendly look.

"Uh, not really. It's a neighborhood, kinda hard to get lost in one."

The man laughed, a bit harder than what was probably warranted, and approached her. Holding out a hand for her to shake, he took a quick sweep of her body, most likely thinking he was much more subtle than he really was. "My name's Spencer. You must be one of the new people, right?"

"Yeah." She took his hand, ignoring the way he ran his thumb over her first two knuckles. "I'm Nye."

"Well _Nye_ ," He chuckled, letting her hand go and using it move up to his hair, brushing it out of his eyes even though the ends only barely brushed his eyebrows, nowhere near long enough to impair his vision. "There's a party my mom is hosting tonight to welcome you all. I look forward to seeing you there."

Turning his back to her, he walked away loosely. The kind of posture that clued Nye into knowing this guy hadn't needed to ever worry about food or shelter, before or after the apocalypse.

Scoffing Nye went to go her own way, but with a grin, she was hit with an idea. Calling over her shoulder,

"Sure thing, Steven."

Out of the corner of her eye, Nye got the satisfaction of seeing him stiffen and stomp away.

…

"Why are we going?" Mason grumbled, mussing up his hair that Nye had just combed prior to getting ready herself.

"Because we have to at least try to make this work." Glenn repeated, leaning in and fixing the teen's messy curls.

"Mom hates house parties though, she's gonna sneak out at some point you know." Toby said, sitting back on the couch with his feet up on the coffee table. Lydia sat next to him, in a light blue dress and dark grey cardigan to cover her scars. She looked upset, had been since she heard about the party.

"That's why we made a deal." Maggie called to them as she came down the stairs, finished getting ready. "So long as she stays for at least twenty minutes, and mingles some, she has permission to bail. And me and Glenn will bring you three back home when we leave."

"Has anyone seen Daryl? Last I saw him was this morning." Nye asked concernedly as she walked down into the living room. She had her hair split into two low pigtails, missing her goggles for once. On her she wore a red and black plaid dress, thankfully long sleeved, that left her shoulders bare. With sheer black stockings and chunky black heels. She hadn't worn any sort of elevated shoe in so long that she wobbled faintly as she descended the stairs.

"Uh, I…" Glenn stammered, glancing at Maggie in silent communication. "I did earlier. Things kind of got… rough with Aiden's team." Glenn scowled at the reminder of how incompetent Alexandria's supply run team was. "Me and Daryl kind of got into a fight with Aiden and Nicholas."

Nye winced. "Bet Rick and Deanna were pleased."

"Actually, she thanked me for decking her son." Glenn added. "Apparently he's a huge dick."

There was a knock on the door, and when Maggie answered it, it was Tara and Noah, both dressed nicer than they had been earlier. "Ready to go?" Noah asked, his tone expressed how much he, and the rest of them, didn't want to bother with the party.

"No." Mason droned, but walked past the two, out the door.

"Look on the bright side," Nye called after him, her and the others leaving the house and moving down the street towards Deanna's at the other side of the block. "Maybe those other kids will be there. And at least we know the Grimes are there already."

Toby gave Mason a nudge and look that said "I mean she's not wrong." Mason nudged Toby back harder. And in revenge, Toby smacked the back of his head, running immediately after to avoid retaliation. But his head start didn't matter, as Mason had longer legs.

The rest watched as the two teens got farther away, one trying to escape with his life, and the other out for revenge. Samson could obviously sense the high energy in the air, and barked after the boys as he too, now gave chase.

"Oh my God." Nye groaned as the distant figures met in a tackle, Mason taking down his brother ruthlessly. Even with how far away they stood the other five people, still walking at a leisurely pace, could hear Toby's grunt as he hit the pavement. And even better, neither teen could protect themself from Samson as the giant dog jumped onto them, crushing them with his weight.

"Should we help?" Lydia meekly asked, holding Nye's hand as they walked.

"They'll be fine." Nye smirked, hearing Mason start to swear as Samson began licking his face.

…

The second they were through the door, Nye marched to the table on the other end of the room, eyeing the beers and stale chips. Lydia spotted Judith being held by Rosita, and wandered over, missing the baby since that morning.

As Nye popped the cap off of a bottle of surely expired beer, she felt a tap on her left shoulder. Pursing her lips, she prepared herself for some painful and awkward small talk that these parties always had. But when she looked, she was relieved to see Tyreese instead of a stranger. The relief didn't last, however, as she noticed the intensely worried expression on his face.

"No one's seen Sasha."

Nye relaxed a tad, giving the man a reassuring smile. "Hey, don't freak out. She went out to practice shooting."

Tyreese hummed, turning his gaze to the floor. They both knew that Sasha was one of if not their best shot by now, and that there was no reason for her to practice, other than to blow off steam. She was still mourning the loss of Bob, and it showed.

"Ty, she'll be okay. Just give her time." Nye told him lowly, soft and sincere.

Tyreese took a deep breath, forcing himself to loosen up and try to have fun while waiting to see if Sasha would even come. Nye made sure to put an open beer in his hand before he left, hoping it would help.

Halfway through her second bottle, and now standing by one of Deanna's towering windows, Nye felt something slam into her side. Her first instinct was to find a weapon, but when she saw what exactly had collided with her, she let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"Sorry." A blonde haired boy, a few years younger than her boys, muttered as he backed away a few steps.

"Don't worry about it." She set down her beer, subconsciously and needlessly fearing that she would set a bad example. "I'm Nye. What's your name?"

"Sam. You're Mason and Toby's mom?"

Before Nye could answer, a woman with grey eyes and strawberry blonde hair came over, weaving between the people standing around as she frowned sheepishly.

"Sam, I told you not to run." She chastised, putting her hands on his shoulders and pulling him to her front. She gave Nye an apologetic grimace. "I'm so sorry about him, he just gets really hyper after drinking soda."

Nye refrained from asking where they could have found the fizzy drink, and all the other snacks sitting around, and instead offered the woman an exasperated huff of understanding. "I hear you, it's fine, honest. I'm guessing you're Jessie?"

Jessie grinned and nodded, shaking Nye's hand. "Yep, and you must be Nye."

The surprise and confusion must have plain as day on her face, because Jessie quickly amended what she said. "I mean, you haven't taken your eyes off of them once, the whole party." She gestured over both to where her boys stood, talking to Carl and Jessie's other son, Ron. And Lydia, standing in the middle of Glenn and Maggie, hiding from anyone who might want to introduce themselves.

"I… I didn't even notice I was doing that." Nye mumbled scratching the back of her head abashedly, minding the pigtails.

"I think it's probably a mom thing. I can't help but keep an eye on Sam and Ron, doesn't matter if I know everything's fine, and we're safe, I just-"

"Worry."

"Exactly." Jessie exclaimed, happy the brunette could relate.

"Mom," Sam called, making the two women suddenly remember he was there. "She doesn't have a stamp." He pulled out a plastic toy stamper, holding it up for Nye to see. "Do you want a stamp?"

"Uh _heck yes_ , that sounds _awesome_." Nye grinned and pulled up her left sleeve, holding her hand out. After he did it, leaving behind a red 'A' on the back of her hand, Nye ruffled Sam's hair. "Thanks man, this is dope."

"Now you're officially one of us." Jessie informed her, smiling appreciatively at Nye's eager participation.

"Well thank you for having me." She joked, doing a mock curtsy.

Through the throngs of people, the teenage boy she had seen Carl and her kids chatting with appeared next to Jessie. He had a look of poorly masked concern, as he tapped urgently on Jessie's arm. "Mom, Dad's looking for you."

Nye frowned as Jessie tensed, her eyes immediately scanning the room almost fearfully.

"Is everything alright?" Nye furrowed her eyebrows as Jessie jumped.

"Oh, yeah. Ron, watch your brother."

Nye and the two boys watched Jessie retreat into the party, the friendly smile she had been sporting, long gone.

"Is there something going on?" Nye turned to Ron, eyes narrowed, and only getting sharper as Ron shrunk into himself.

"Yeah, everything's fine. C'mon Sam." Ron wouldn't meet Nye's gaze, tugging Sam away by the sleeve.

Something about the way the family was acting left a bad taste in Nye's mouth, feeling the familiar tension in the air that lingered when someone was walking on eggshells around another. Nye knew it had been nearly a decade since she'd seen her father, alive that is, so she may not remember it as well as she thought. But, the way Jessie got that stressed and fearful look in her eyes, while Ron seemed hesitant to send his mother away to her husband, had Nye making a mental note to meet Alexandria's doctor soon, just to make sure things were fine. Hopefully she was making a big fuss over nothing, but she wasn't taking in any chances.

Lifting her beer to her mouth, Nye shook her head and looked back out the window. The bottle froze halfway to her lips, as the saw a silhouette standing in the street in front of the house. She knew the height and build anywhere, and with a grin she skipped through the crowd and out of the house. Shivering as the cold night air hit her shoulders, Nye rushed down the porch steps as she saw Daryl had turned around, choosing not to go in.

"Hey," She called, making him freeze and slowly look back. "Not coming in?"

Daryl tipped his head low, biting his bottom lip. Looking back up at her, he shook his head. Even from her distance, Nye could see the way he couldn't bring himself to stare at one place on her too long.

"Well then," Nye strolled down to the street, stopping next to him. She herself had to pause to take him in, clean and well dressed, and not to mention his hair looked incredibly soft now. "Maggie and Glenn agreed to let me bail whenever, _so_ , where to?"

Daryl glanced back at the house. "I'm gonna head back, you should go back to the party."

Nye raised an unamused brow, settling her hands on her hips. "Daryl, that house is full of well meaning, but ultimately naive people. And you are, short of my kids, my _favorite_ person." She smiled, cheeks red from something else than the cold. "So, _where to_?"

The hunter sighed through his nose, relenting and leading the way back to the houses. Nye had a feeling that maybe the reason he tried sending her back to the party, was caused by some lingering nerves at the thought of being alone together for the first time since the incident in the RV. And as they walked side by side, she was hit with a bout of courage, likely brought on by the beers. Her right hand, swinging only a few inches away from Daryl's left, slowly moved over.

Heart in her throat, Nye looked down at the pavement as her pinky brushed his. She felt him stiffen beside her, and held her breath. After a few seconds, Nye bit back an excited gasp as he just barely weaved his with hers, touch as light as a feather, but still somehow reassuringly tight. In the back of her mind Nye was squealing, testing the waters by curling her pinky tighter around his. She couldn't stop the dopey grin spreading from ear to ear when he recuperated.

 _I'm holding pinkies with Daryl Dixon._ Nye couldn't help but feel like this was somehow the most intimate thing she had ever done, despite it probably being the most tame. It being Daryl made all the difference though, and she was too deliriously happy to care that she was thinking like she was a girl half her age, all as a result of his close proximity.

But, they seemed to have a trend that always reared its head up at times like these, and now was no different. They were unceremoniously interrupted.

"Daryl, Nye. Hey." Aaron leaned out his front door, smirking at them in a way that gave off the impression that he knew exactly what it was he had just done, as Daryl moved his hand away from Nye's

The short brunette pouted, and her suspicions were confirmed when Aaron very obviously fought a laugh at her brooding. Apparently he found their awkward fumbling around each other to be humorous, the dick.

"Thought you were going to that party over there." Daryl gestured back to Deanna's, clearly ignoring whatever moment he and Nye just had.

And she knew he was shy, and uncomfortable with physical affection, but it still stung.

"Oh, I was never going to go 'cause of Eric's ankle, _thank God_." Aaron huffed in relief.

"Why the hell did you tell me to go, then?" The hunter recounted, annoyed by the useless effort he put into getting presentable enough for the Alexandrians.

"I said _try_. You did. It's a thought that counts thing." Aaron shrugged, looking strangely proud of him.

Nodding in acceptance of that, Daryl moved to keep on their way back home, his hand staying resolutely at his side this time. Nye frowned sadly, moving her hands behind her back and locking them together to avoid the temptation of reaching out for him.

"Hey, come in." Aaron quickly suggested, smiling openly as he stepped out of the doorway, leaving it clear as light shined from inside the house. "Have some dinner. Come on. It's some pretty serious spaghetti."

The two traded a look, and Nye shrugged carefreely. She turned back to Aaron.

"You got any wine?"

"We do."

"Good enough for me." She hopped up the steps, slipping inside.

Daryl didn't wait long to follow, at least feeling more at ease at the idea of spending the evening with Aaron and Eric, than surrounded by strangers at Deanna's party. The home was warm, but not overly so, just the right amount after spending time outside in the chill. It smelled like spaghetti, as Aaron said, and he slowly followed the sound of low chatter coming from the dining room. He and Aaron stopped at the entrance of the room, watching Nye and Eric set the table, already deep in conversation despite the fact she and Daryl only just came in. Whatever she and Eric were talking about, was wholly lost on Daryl, as he was paralyzed in the doorway, left to watch her silently as she laughed about something under her breath. In all the time they had known each other, Daryl had never seen her like this. Dressed up, made somehow more beautiful than usual, as she calmly told Eric about her day as she set four glasses down on the table.

It looked entirely domestic. Free of blood, dead people walking, and violence. She was in her element here, once a young nurse with two kids who was thrown way over her head into the apocalypse, who's heart and soul were born to heal and comfort others, but had been conditioned over time to seal itself off to keep itself safe. Here though, she could spend her time playing guitar, reading fiction, and talking about anything and everything that wasn't about what was outside the walls. Here, she could go back to being Niagara Conner, the immature young woman who Daryl never got the chance to meet.

Daryl was snapped out of his stupor as Aaron nudged him with his elbow, and the hunter only now noticed Nye and Eric were finishing up plating the food. Aaron took the seat to Nye's left, across from Eric, and Daryl took the seat to the left of Eric, across from Nye.

"How are the kids settling?" Aaron asked to his right, twirling a bite of spaghetti.

Nye shrugged, taking a sip of wine to give herself a couple extra seconds to think over her answer. "Fine, I guess. Mason and Toby are kind of used to moving around and trying to find their footing in new places, so they're doing pretty well. Lydia's still pretty closed off with some of us, so a whole new community of people to get used to is a bit overwhelming for her. But I think she'll come around soon enough."

"The dog helps." Daryl commented through a mouth full of pasta.

"Dude." Nye giggled, handing him a napkin to wipe the sauce off of the corner of his mouth.

Eric watched the exchange, forming a subtle smirk. Aaron minutely shook his head at his boyfriend, but was trying hard to fight down his own. Aaron knew exactly what he had planned.

" _So_ ," Eric lifted his glass to his mouth to hide the conniving smirk behind it. "How long have you two been together?"

Daryl froze, fork stopping midway to his mouth, he stared across at Nye like a deer caught in headlights, seeming so stunned he couldn't look away from her. Nye however, she happened to be drinking from her glass when the question was asked, and as a result, choked harshly on the wine. She hacked, barely managing to swallow what was in her mouth, and set the glass down without any spilling. With eyes as wide as saucers, Nye stammered and fumbled for what to say as she looked right back at Daryl. Neither had anything they could come up with to say, left to flounder as their cheeks steadily grew redder.

"W-we, uh- we're n-not," Nye made a sort of wide gesture with her hands, pursing her lips as she flushed harder. "You know, we um…"

Eric feigned a look of surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry. You two just give off that feeling, I would have sworn you two were a couple."

This time Daryl made a sort of choking noise in the back of his throat, deciding to shovel a bite of spaghetti into his mouth to avoid having to give a verbal response.

Nye frowned at his reaction, knowing Eric's assumption was wrong, but not unfounded. She picked up her glass, downing what was left and holding it out for Aaron to refill. He handed it back, more wine in it than when he had filled it previously, and he offered her an apologetic smile. She muttered a quick _thank you_ , and took another gulp.

Eric finally took pity on them, and changed the subject. He wiped his mouth and turned to Daryl. "Mmm, when you're out there, if you happen to be in a store or something, Mrs Neudermyer is really looking for a pasta maker. And we're all really trying to get her to shut up about it. I mean, we have crates of dried pasta in here, but she wants to make her own or something. I really think she just wants something to talk about, so... if you see one out on your travels, it would go a long way to…"

Nye stopped eating, glancing across the table and raising a brow at Daryl questioningly. He shook his head faintly, squinting at Eric and Aaron, no clearer than Nye on what Eric was talking about, and why Aaron was giving his boyfriend silent signals to drop it.

Eric noticed their confusion, and Aaron's attempt to get him to stop talking, without raising any questions. But it was obviously too late for that. "...I thought it was done." Eric pointedly stared at his boyfriend. " You didn't ask him already?"

"Ask me what?" Daryl asked lowly, having a growing suspicion on what this was about.

Aaron sighed, scooting his chair back and standing. He nodded in the direction of the door leading into the garage. "Come on, I gotta show you something."

When Daryl followed him into the garage, Aaron closed the door after them, but his voice, muffled and unintelligible, could be heard as he explained whatever it was he had planned.

Nye watched the door worriedly, having come to her own conclusion, and fearing what it meant for Daryl. Eric saw, smiling kindly as he refilled her glass.

"From what Aaron said, Daryl's more than capable out there. He'll be fine."

Nye hummed noncommittally, moving to stand from the table, the dinner forgotten. When she tried though, her legs wobbled and the room spun.

"Whoa," She slumped back down, hand going to her head with the realization that not only was this the first time in what had to be over a year that she had consumed alcohol, but that she had already drank a lot tonight, between the beers and wine. She was hit all at once with the dizzy feeling and unstable legs, and besides those, Nye was left to sit in a warm fuzzy feeling taking up her headspace, leaving no room for her usual concerns. How she hadn't noticed the airy feeling before, she wasn't sure. Now very conscious of the warmness in her cheeks, what she thought was from Eric's earlier assumption.

Slumping forward in her chair, Nye giggled uncontrollably at herself, embarrassed for getting so easily wasted, covering her face with her hands. Eric shook his head with a smile, very subtly moving away her glass of wine.

She was sure Daryl was feeling just fine, not affected by the alcohol as extremely as her. He always was proving to be stronger than any person in the room at any given time.

Suddenly she stopped giggling, and Nye peeked through her hands, looking caught off guard by something. "He's so handsome, an' nice, an' strong, an' sweet. An' I wanna just…" She trailed off, face turning a rose-y color, caused by something other than the fast alcohol intake. Her stomach was doing somersaults and Eric was left to assume where it was that her mind had wandered to. Going by the way she was all but drooling, he had a fair idea of where it had gone.

While Aaron was talking to Daryl about a very serious proposition just in the other room, Nye and Eric devolved into a conversation that wouldn't have a chance at happening if the other men were in earshot. Eric, tipsy to a lesser degree than Nye, was recounting to her the many hilarious fumbles he went through in his love life, most before he had found his future in Aaron. Something about the way they fell into such simple comradery with each other was refreshing and nostalgic, bringing back memories for Nye that she had long ago boxed up, to avoid the pain of being reminded of someone she lost.

Nye was full of her own stories from back when she was a self proclaimed "heartbreaker" in college, and it was during the playback of one such story that she let something slip, that took Eric completely off guard.

"You've _never_ had sex with a guy?" He gasped, lowering his glass.

"Hmm-mm." Nye shook her head, her chin resting on the table as she idly twirled her hair. "Nope."

"Why?"

Nye shrugged. "Too scared I guess"

"Scared of what?" Eric leaned forward, neither of them hearing the door behind them open, as the other two had finished their discussion.

Nye blinked, pulling her hand away from her hair. "I… was scared of bein- I was scared of _not_ being in control. Was scared of givin' up something special like that, to, like, some guy who's just gonna leave when he sees my baggage." Nye's eyes got misty, staring into space. "...not a lotta people stuck around after they saw the scars. An' I was scared to be left again, after giving up part of m'self."

Eric sat there, too wrongfooted to find any words to try to comfort her. He felt a burning anger at the people who had treated the brunette badly enough to leave their mark on her, physical and emotional, and could only hope to himself that those people had gotten what they deserved now, after the world ended. Eric did take some solace in the fact that somewhere along the way, Nye had found herself a human guard dog, always looking out for her, even when she wasn't aware of it.

Said guard dog entered the room behind Aaron, staring down at the floor, with a forced even expression. Aaron only had to give one look to Eric, for him to know he and Daryl had heard, at least the last bit.

Eric cleared his throat, drawing Nye's attention, and as she sat up she saw that the two were back in the room. Whatever sullen look she had on her face, melted into a content smile as she saw her redneck standing there.

"You actually ask him this time?" Eric snidely asked, getting a huff from his boyfriend.

" _Yes_ , and he's agreed."

"Agreed to what?" Nye asked cluelessly, having already forgotten what she deduced the conversation to be about.

Aaron opened his mouth, but Daryl quickly shook his head, able to tell that she had most likely gone over her body's alcohol limit, just by her posture and speech.

"Don't worry 'bout it. I'll explain to ya in the mornin'."

"Okay." Nye smiled, standing from the table again. This time when she stumbled, Daryl caught her, keeping her on her feet.

…

The door creaked as Daryl pushed it open with his left hand, his right was busy holding up the nearly unconscious woman hanging off of him. When he walked them into the house, he spotted a head over the back of the couch, but before he could investigate, the head had already peeked over. Lydia blinked tiredly at them, changed out of the clothes that were deemed Alexandria appropriate, and was lounging back in an oversized hoodie (one of Nye's) and sweatpants.

"What are you doin' here?"

Lydia shrugged, staring at Nye curiously. "Didn't like it there, snuck out. What's wrong with her?"

"She's drunk." Daryl hoisted Nye a bit higher, as she was falling into a light doze and slipping from his grip.

"Oh." Lydia got up, yawning and walking over to where Samson laid, the Saint Bernard snoring and drooling onto the floor. "Is she gonna throw up?"

Daryl snorted. "Probably."

Lydia hummed, laying down against the dog, using him as a pillow as she got comfortable.

"What are you doin'?"

"Sleeping. The bed's too soft."

Daryl hesitated, he had planned to lay Nye down to rest, then go out onto the porch to have a smoke, but seeing Lydia curled up on the floor like that gave him pause. Gently setting Nye down on the couch, the woman all but knocked out, he took the heavy quilt off of the back of the lounge chair by the fireplace.

With her eyes closed, Lydia didn't see him approach, but she felt him carefully put the quilt over her, covering her up completely from her chin down. The heavy weight was calming, and the girl soon fell to sleep, relaxing into the giant dog under her.

He remembered, back on the Greene farm, right after Dale was killed, he found Nye and the boys huddled together on the sofa, sleeping deeply with tear tracks still fresh on their faces. Daryl had meant to leave them, but he noticed the way Nye's lips were pursed in a frustrated frown, unable to fall asleep like the boys with the light still on. He flipped the switch, casting the room into darkness, the only light coming through the window, the moon shining brightly outside. Daryl went to quietly step out of the room, but froze when he heard her voice, thick with grief and raspy from exhaustion.

" _Thanks."_

With his back to her, he had nodded, knowing she wouldn't see it, and walked away.

Now, he made sure Lydia was sleeping before heading upstairs with Nye, taking her to bed. Instead of just having an arm thrown over his shoulder to help support her, this time Daryl merely scooped her up, carrying her bridal style into the room she had previously placed dibs on. He didn't bother trying to flick the light on, only worked his way through to the bed in the dark. When he finally rested her down, he pulled the chain string on the bedside lamp, tipping the shade so the light didn't shine in Nye's face and wake her up.

Daryl almost stood, leaving her to sleep off the booze, but he waited, knowing she couldn't be comfortable sleeping in everything still. So very gently, he reached behind her head, pulling the elastic band out of her hair, letting the locks free to fall onto the pillow. He moved downward, brushing off the idea of getting her out of her dress immediately after it entered his head, and instead went for her heels, slipping off the impossibly impractical shoes and letting them drop to the floor. He leaned over, intending the turn the lamp off, and was taken aback as he felt a hand curl around his.

Looking back at her face, Daryl saw that at some point Nye had woken up. She wasn't looking him in the face, choosing to stare down at their hands, her fingers interlocking with his. Daryl was suddenly very aware of how loud his breathing sounded in the silent room, but didn't dare move or say anything.

Nye brushed her thumb over the back of his hand, eyes half-lidded and staring off, lost in thought. When she finally opened her mouth, and broke the silence, the words she spoke made the breath catch in Daryl's throat.

"You make me happy." She whispered, her voice scratchy and deep as she struggled to stay awake. "You make me _better_."

Daryl sucked in a sharp breath, and shook his head faintly. "You're givin' me too much credit Sunshine."

Nye looked away from their hands, and focused her attention on his face. Whatever alcohol induced state of bliss she had been in, seemed to have dissolved into some kind of morose sadness.

"Would you have gone through with it?"

"Through with what?"

"...kissing me?" Nye breathed, softer than a whisper.

Shit

This was the last conversation he wanted to be having with her when she was intoxicated. Because whatever she was going to say, he was left to wonder if it was genuine, or if it was caused by the alcohol. Nye didn't seem to care though, as she held his hand tighter to keep him from fleeing.

"Would you?" Nye squeaked, her eyes going misty.

And even if she hadn't been on the verge of tears, his answer would have still been the same.

"Yeah," Daryl murmured through a resigned sigh. "Yeah I would've."

Nye blinked, silent and still, then nodded.

Thinking that was that, Daryl moved to get off the bed and leave her to sleep, but her hand didn't release his.

"Daryl."

"Hmm?"

Nye looked down at the sheets, her breath hitching. "A-and, if I asked… would you stay? Here, with me?"

Daryl stiffened, turning to see if she was serious. And she was, her cheeks a little paler, like she was terrified of his answer, with her face set into a tense expression. Nevertheless, Nye didn't let his hand go, wouldn't, until he answered the question.

"You ain't thinkin' straight Nye." He sighed deeply.

"Yeah, haven't been since I met you."

"That's not-" Daryl ducked his head, wondering to himself how he of all people managed to wind up here, now, with her. "You're drunk, you probably ain't even gonna remember this in the mornin'."

When she didn't respond, he got worried, thinking he may have hurt her. While he was quickly thinking up something to say to try and make her feel better, she finally gave her response.

"So," Nye mumbled, thumb gently moving back and forth, touch feather light. "If I was sober, you would stay?"

At the hopeful lilt in her tone, Daryl looked at her. Nye was waiting, her brows furrowed and eyes once again watery, and he knew he didn't have it in him to lie to her.

"I don't know. I- I want to… but I dunno if I could."

Nye blinked, eyes drifting back down to the sheets, and she very slowly released his hand. She wasn't about to cry, but she didn't look satisfied either. But even drunk, Nye could tell when Daryl was at his limits, and she could tell this was his limit. She sniffled, nose stuffy from the near tears, and nodded against the pillow as she drifted off.

" _Okay_."

Daryl waited a moment, to see if she was really done and to make sure she fell asleep peacefully. When her breathing evened out, and her body relaxed was when he finally stood. He pulled the small chain, turning off the lamp and leaving the room in darkness.

And in a rather impulsive decision for him, Daryl leaned down. Even softer than how she had been stroking her thumb over his hand, Daryl pressed his lips to her forehead, right on the scar left when the Termite struck her in the head. He lingered there for a couple seconds, and gently brushed her hair behind her ear when he pulled away.

"Night Sunshine."

As he closed the door behind him, he could hear footsteps coming up the stairs. Daryl turned, and locked eyes with Mason and Toby. Both boys froze, knowing that room was the one Nye had picked, and were now squinting at him suspiciously.

"What were you doing in our mother's room?" Mason narrowed his eyes, marching forward, and being held back by Toby, who sighed tiredly.

"Not now." He begged. "I just want to sleep through to noon tomorrow, and I won't be able to if you start bickering." Toby pulled his brother along, but did shoot Daryl a stern look of his own.

It was slightly jarring for the boys to be so standoffish with him for once. Even back when Nye and Daryl had issues with each other, the boys followed him around like a magnet. Now, it seemed like whatever bond they had was temporarily put on the back burner in favor of being Nye's self appointed white knights. And with that duty, Daryl was the first on their list of people that could hurt her emotionally.

"We'll be talking about this in the morning mister." Mason aggressively sent Daryl the 'always watching' motion, and let Toby drag him away.

Daryl waited for them to close the door to their room, and slumped against Nye's.

He didn't regret his choice to become Aaron's new run partner, having a feeling it was going to help save him from the Conner kids' wrath.

…

Aaron and Eric stood in their front entrance, watching Daryl lead Nye back to the house, her arm slung over him to stay balanced. They both smiled at the two, and Aaron gave Eric a sidelong glance.

"Eric."

"Hmm?"

"Didn't I already mention they weren't together?"

"Yes, you did."

"So why act like you didn't know?"

"Well, why are you acting like you don't know why I acted like I didn't know?"

"...you think it worked?"

Eric shrugged and walked back inside.

"I _don't know_."

"Hm, guess we'll have to wait and see."


End file.
